Emmet County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26047 · population 34,094 · 468 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 253 records for Emmet County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 229 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (136 records). 168 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 July 21, 2012 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Emmet, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1977, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on June 30, 2026.
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
- 253on 229 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 2026
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 Emmet County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 136 since 1996. 50% 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 | 136 | 136 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $263K | 14 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 57 | 44 | 1967-2021 | 0 | 1 | $498K | 55 of 83 |
| Hail | 18 | 14 | 1983-2019 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 76 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 16 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $327K | 21 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | 29 of 83 |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | $297K | 59 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1953-1996 | 0 | 0 | $355K | 57 of 83 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 83 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2001-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 32 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 1 | 0 | – | 10 of 83 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 44 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 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 Emmet County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Emmet County from 1953 to 1996, 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Emmet County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Emmet County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-08-14 | Pellston Airport, Emmet County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-08-18 | Emmet County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-07-04 | Emmet County | F1 6.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1955-06-06 | Emmet County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1953-09-20 | Emmet County | F1 | 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 Emmet County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 21, 2012 rip current (1 death).
A teenaged male from Portage, Michigan, drowned off of Cross Village Beach. Dive teams were called in, and found the body about 40 feet from shore.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 399640)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-13 | Winter StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-10 | Ice StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Cold/Wind ChillEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Winter StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-28 | Ice StormEmmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-07-21 | Rip CurrentCheboygan County and Emmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-21 | Rip CurrentCheboygan County and Emmet County · forecast zone Emmet A teenaged male from Portage, Michigan, drowned off of Cross Village Beach. Dive teams were called in, and found the body about 40 feet from shore. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-08-08 | Thunderstorm WindAlanson, Emmet County A line of thunderstorms moved across eastern Upper and far northern Lower Michigan during the early afternoon hours of the 8th. These storms produced numerous reports of severe hail. Winds from these storms also downed numerous trees. One tree fell on a car, injuring the occupant.An outflow boundary from the early ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-04-27 | Frost/FreezeCheboygan County and Emmet County · forecast zone Emmet | 0 | 0 | $6.4M | |
| 1998-06-24 | HailPetoskey, Emmet County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $181K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 4, 1957 (tornado, Emmet County); August 18, 1987 (tornado, Emmet 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 Emmet 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 | – | – | – | – | 24 | 62 | 33 | 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% 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 35 · Feb 31 · Mar 21 · Apr 10 · May 2 · Jun 23 · Jul 25 · Aug 17 · Sep 18 · Oct 12 · Nov 20 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Emmet County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Emmet County: 3 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4925 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4880 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 Emmet County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for Emmet County from 2011 to 2022, on 5 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Emmet County ranks 2436th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $32,000 on 8 claims filed in Emmet County; the most in one year was 3 in 2026. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2012: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2026: 3; 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 Emmet County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Emmet County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.8 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 | $4.0M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $11K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $7.7M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $165K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $481K | once in about 13 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $6K | once in about 68 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $136K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $20K | 30 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Emmet 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 Emmet CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Emmet County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis