Baraga County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26013 · population 8,148 · 898 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 632 records for Baraga County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 509 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (374 records). 477 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the December 5, 2018 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Baraga, which covers the county: 1 death, 1 injury and $18,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1977, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on June 18, 2013.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 632on 509 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 16 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $27Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Baraga County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 374 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Michigan's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 374 | 335 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 6 | $632K | 6 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 76 | 46 | 1960-2022 | 0 | 0 | $787K | 74 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 61 | 46 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 83 |
| Hail | 56 | 41 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 67 of 83 |
| Floods | 16 | 14 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 46 of 83 |
| Heavy rain | 12 | 11 | 2006-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 11 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | $82K | 69 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 7 | 2006-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 83 |
| Heat | 8 | 7 | 2006-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 83 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2007-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 4 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2011-2018 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 8 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1968-1980 | 0 | 0 | – | 82 of 83 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 65 of 83 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Baraga County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Baraga County from 1968 to 1980, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 2 tornadoes whose track touched Baraga County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Baraga County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-09-08 | Baraga County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-08-22 | Baraga County | F2 0.3 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Baraga County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 24, 2026 flood ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | HeatBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | FloodL Anse, Baraga County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter StormBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter StormBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Winter StormBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Winter WeatherBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-04 | Winter WeatherBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | BlizzardBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-05 | Winter WeatherBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga There was a report of 5.5 inches of lake effect snow just south of Baraga over an eight-hour period. The observer near Pelkie measured 4.6 inches of snow during the same period. Poor visibility and slick roads from the lake effect snow contributed to a fatal head-on car crash near L'anse Bay just before 6 am on the ... | 1 | 1 | $18K | |
| 2017-03-08 | Winter WeatherBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga The combination of three to four inches of lake effect snow and west winds gusting as high as 50 mph resulted in occasional whiteout conditions at several locations throughout the county. The harsh winter weather and whiteout conditions led to a three vehicle accident on Highway US-41 by Canyon Falls at around 8:30 pm ... | 0 | 5 | $72K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-18 | HailL Anse, Baraga County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10M |
| 2025-05-15 | Flash FloodArnheim, Baraga County | 0 | 0 | $9.3M | |
| 2003-05-12 | FloodBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | |
| 2024-10-18 | WildfireBaraga County · forecast zone Baraga | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2023-04-12 | FloodBaraga Carlson Airport, Baraga County | 0 | 0 | $678K | |
| 2023-05-04 | FloodPelkie, Baraga County | 0 | 0 | $484K | |
| 2013-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindL Anse, Baraga County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2006-07-28 | Thunderstorm WindCovington, Baraga County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $73K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Baraga County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 22 | 95 | 161 | 96 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 20 | 24 | 14 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 27 | 19 | 10 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 11 | 10 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Baraga County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 89 · Feb 78 · Mar 57 · Apr 60 · May 29 · Jun 56 · Jul 66 · Aug 13 · Sep 22 · Oct 20 · Nov 63 · Dec 79 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Baraga County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Baraga County: 3 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4494 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3455 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-06-18 | DR-4121 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3225 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1413 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1978-01-27 | EM-3057 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3035 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Baraga County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 16 flood or flash flood records for Baraga County from 1996 to 2026, on 14 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Baraga County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14,000 on 6 claims filed in Baraga County; the most in one year was 4 in 1987. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1987: 4 · 2003: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Baraga County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Baraga County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $403K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $48K | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $88K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $154K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $3K | once in about 73 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $127 | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $3K | 2.9 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Baraga County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in MichiganEvery Michigan tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in MichiganThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Michigan recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Baraga CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Baraga County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis