Chippewa County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26033 · population 36,764 · 1,559 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 343 records for Chippewa County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 270 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (186 records). 224 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 most damaging was the July 3, 1999 waterspout ($354,000 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 “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 7, 2005.
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
- 343on 270 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 01 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.6Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F1
- 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 Chippewa County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 186 since 1996. 46% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 | 186 | 151 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $237K | 73 of 83 |
| Hail | 54 | 43 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 78 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 49 | 37 | 1961-2023 | 0 | 1 | $205K | 82 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 11 | 2004-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 13 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $388K | 77 of 83 |
| Floods | 8 | 8 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $186K | 73 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 7 | 1972-2021 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 74 of 83 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 2007-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 1 | 2025-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 83 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 83 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 68 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | $354K | 51 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 Chippewa County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Chippewa County from 1972 to 2021, the strongest rated F1, 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Chippewa County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Chippewa County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-11 | Munnscong, Chippewa County | EF0 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-07-12 | Chippewa County | F1 5.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1987-07-11 | Chippewa County | F0 2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1987-04-01 | Chippewa County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-08-16 | Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $250K step | |
| 1977-08-05 | Chippewa County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-07-12 | Chippewa County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
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 Chippewa County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 7, 2025 flash flood ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormChippewa County · forecast zone Southeast Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormChippewa County · forecast zone Western Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Western Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Western Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Western Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Western Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Cold/Wind ChillChippewa County · forecast zone Central Chippewa County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindCottage Park, Chippewa County Drone pictures show numerous trees down about 1/4 mile west of M-129 on M-80. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $22K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-03 | WaterspoutDrummond Is, Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $354K | |
| 2021-08-11 | Thunderstorm WindCottage Park, Chippewa County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $22K |
| 2025-08-07 | Flash FloodWhitefish Pt, Chippewa County | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 16, 1978 (tornado, Chippewa County).
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 Chippewa 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 | – | – | – | – | 18 | 66 | 41 | 61 |
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 51 · Feb 35 · Mar 32 · Apr 18 · May 6 · Jun 27 · Jul 39 · Aug 35 · Sep 10 · Oct 6 · Nov 35 · Dec 49 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Chippewa County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Chippewa County: 2 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and snowstorm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4494 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3455 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3225 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1994-05-10 | DR-1028 | Freezing | Severe Deep Freeze |
| 1978-01-27 | EM-3057 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3035 | Drought | Drought |
| 1977-02-05 | EM-3030 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
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 Chippewa County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 8 flood or flash flood records for Chippewa County from 1999 to 2025, on 8 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Chippewa County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $137,000 on 6 claims filed in Chippewa County; the most in one year was 1 in 1986. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2026: 1; 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 Chippewa County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chippewa County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $242K | once in about 540 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.0M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $39K | once in about 55 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $37K | 32 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $127K | 21 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $1K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $4K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Chippewa 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 Chippewa CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Chippewa County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis