Gogebic County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26053 · population 14,378 · 1,102 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 677 records for Gogebic County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 570 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (358 records). 452 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 30, 2017 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Gogebic, which covers the county: 1 death and $6,020 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 1977, 7 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on August 2, 2018.
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
- 677on 570 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 34 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $62Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 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 Gogebic County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 358 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 | 358 | 354 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 2 | $262K | 9 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 127 | 78 | 1971-2026 | 1 | 1 | $1.7M | 67 of 83 |
| Hail | 68 | 42 | 1965-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 71 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 61 | 61 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 18 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 51 of 83 |
| Floods | 17 | 16 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $57M | 50 of 83 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 11 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 83 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 4 | 1984-2016 | 0 | 0 | $293K | 79 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2006-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 83 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2005-2006 | 1 | 1 | – | 50 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 Gogebic County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Gogebic County from 1984 to 2016, the strongest rated EF1, 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 Gogebic 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 Gogebic County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-07-11 | Hurley, Gogebic County | EF1 0.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $61K |
| 2016-07-11 | Puritan, Gogebic County | EF1 2.44 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2005-06-05 | Marenisco, Gogebic County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 1988-08-03 | Gogebic County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-27 | Gogebic County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
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 Gogebic County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 12, 2023 flood ($19.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
The Gogebic County Road Commission reported numerous secondary roads and a few county roads impassable from the 13th into the 17th. Highway M-28 east of Sunday Lake in Wakefield was closed from the 16th into the 21st due to high water. Estimated countywide damages to highway infrastructure were in the millions of dollars. Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Gogebic County on April 14th due to severe and widespread flooding.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1093441)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Bessemer, Gogebic County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | Ice StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-10 | Winter WeatherGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-19 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-16 | Winter StormGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Winter WeatherGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-12-30 | Winter WeatherGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic A period of lake effect snow showers dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow across parts of Gogebic County. Gusty winds resulted in blowing snow and visibility restrictions during the day. The combination of snow and reduced visibility contributed to a snowmobile accident at the US 2 and Ramsay Crossing intersection that ... | 1 | 0 | $6K | |
| 2006-06-17 | LightningWakefield, Gogebic County A 50-year old man was struck and killed by lightning while standing under a tree near Sunday Lake in Wakefield. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindWatersmeet, Gogebic County Large trees down. One tree fell on fiber-glass camper resulting in a fataility at Imp Lake Campground in Ottawa National Forest. | 1 | 0 | $9K | |
| 2020-07-18 | Thunderstorm WindWhite City, Gogebic County Law enforcement reported a tree fell on a vehicle near Gogebic Lodge and the nearby bait and tackle shop. The male occupant in the car was injured. The time of the report was estimated from radar. | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $11K |
| 2013-01-30 | Winter WeatherGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic The spotter in Bessemer measured 7.5 inches of snow in 24 hours. The Gogebic County Sheriff's Department reported that poor visibility in heavy snow contributed to an accident involving a car and a snowmobile on the afternoon of the 30th. A 57-year-old man attempting to cross Highway US-2 on his snowmobile was struck ... | 0 | 1 | $10K | |
| 2011-12-16 | Winter WeatherGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic Slippery roads from several inches of lake effect snow contributed to numerous car accidents from Ironwood through Wakefield to Marenisco on the 16th. One two-car accident in Bessemer resulted in injuries to a 44 year-old man. | 0 | 1 | $52K | |
| 2005-06-11 | LightningWakefield, Gogebic County A 41 year-old man was struck by lightning while mowing his lawn. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-14 | FloodGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | $30M | |
| 2023-04-12 | FloodJunet, Gogebic County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2016-07-11 | Flash FloodJunet, Gogebic County | 0 | 0 | $6.1M | |
| 1998-11-11 | High WindGogebic County · forecast zone Gogebic | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2013-04-28 | FloodIronwood, Gogebic County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2016-07-11 | Thunderstorm WindWakefield, Gogebic County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2006-07-28 | HailWakefield, Gogebic County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2018-06-15 | FloodJunet, Gogebic County | 0 | 0 | $404K |
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: April 27, 1984 (tornado, Gogebic 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 Gogebic 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 | 85 | 165 | 84 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 37 | 35 | 22 |
| Hail | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 35 | 11 | 10 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 16 | 26 | 14 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 11 | 2 |
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 Gogebic County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 96 · Feb 79 · Mar 52 · Apr 56 · May 35 · Jun 76 · Jul 77 · Aug 32 · Sep 19 · Oct 21 · Nov 60 · Dec 74 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gogebic County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Gogebic County: 5 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4494 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3455 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-08-02 | DR-4381 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2013-06-18 | DR-4121 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3225 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-05-06 | DR-1413 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1994-05-10 | DR-1028 | Freezing | Severe Deep Freeze |
| 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 Gogebic County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Gogebic County from 1996 to 2023, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gogebic County ranks 2358th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $38,000 on 10 claims filed in Gogebic County; the most in one year was 4 in 2002. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1996: 1 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2022: 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 Gogebic County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gogebic County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $563K | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $142K | 33 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $332K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $95K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $20K | once in about 50 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.3M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $145K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Gogebic 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 Gogebic CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gogebic County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis