Houghton County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26061 · population 37,342 · 1,009 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,005 records for Houghton County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 723 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (593 records). 758 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 January 9, 2017 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Northern Houghton, which covers the county: 1 death and 4 injuries. 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
- 1,005on 723 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 57 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $149Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F0
- 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 Houghton County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 593 since 1996. 44% 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 | 593 | 488 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 7 | $285K | 2 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 123 | 64 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $482K | 69 of 83 |
| Hail | 78 | 48 | 1971-2024 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 64 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 56 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | 9 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 66 | 45 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 83 |
| Floods | 29 | 25 | 2002-2026 | 1 | 0 | $146M | 24 of 83 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 17 | 2006-2020 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 1 of 83 |
| Heat | 11 | 6 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 11 | 8 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2011-2020 | 1 | 0 | – | 13 of 83 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2011-2013 | 0 | 0 | $33K | 48 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1987-1987 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 83 of 83 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | $202K | 14 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 Houghton County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Houghton County from 1987 to 1987, the strongest rated F0, 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 1 tornado whose track touched Houghton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Houghton County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-11 | Houghton County | F0 5 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Houghton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 23, 2025 flash flood ($5.5 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Flash flooding resulted in several washouts in the Chassell area, including Massie Road, Chassell-Painesdale Road, and Bootjack Road. Some of these areas experienced flooding in the recent past, including June 2025. Floodwaters impacted a few residences on Lakeshore Drive as well. US-41 had one foot of flowing water over the roadway near Chassell, resulting in a closure of one lane.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1287885)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindJacobsville, Houghton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindChassell, Houghton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindChassell, Houghton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindJacobsville, Houghton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindToivola, Houghton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-04 | High WindHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | FloodTapiola, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-04 | Winter StormHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Winter StormHoughton County · forecast zone Southern Houghton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardHoughton County · forecast zone Southern Houghton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormHoughton County · forecast zone Southern Houghton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-09 | Winter WeatherHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton The Houghton County Sheriff reported a fatal two-vehicle accident on Highway M-26 near Dollar Bay on the morning of the 8th. It is believed that several inches of lake effect snow caused the slippery conditions which contributed to the accident. A 2002 Honda Accord collided head-on with a 2005 Chevy pickup truck ... | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2020-11-29 | Winter WeatherHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton A Chassell man died in a rollover-crash in Houghton County's Portage Township on the evening of the 29th. MSP troopers said the driver, a 50 year-old man from Chassell, was traveling south on Superior Road near Haapapuro Road when he lost control of his vehicle on the snow-covered road. The vehicle slid sideways into ... | 1 | 0 | $11K | |
| 2020-08-11 | Rip CurrentHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton The Houghton County Sheriff's department responded to a distress call of four people swept out by a current into Lake Superior when a sandbar collapsed at Big Traverse Beach. Several people on the beach assisted in the rescue by using inflatable tubes and were able to get all four people back to shore. One of the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-11-09 | Winter StormHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton The observer at Kearsarge measured 12 inches of snowfall in approximately seven hours. North winds gusting as high as 50 mph at times also whipped up three to four foot snow drifts during the event. The inclement weather also contributed to a deadly car crash on Highway US-41 in Portage Township on the morning of the ... | 1 | 0 | $24K | |
| 2018-06-17 | Flash FloodAlcone, Houghton County Three to nearly seven inches of rainfall in the early morning hours of the 17th caused widespread and catastrophic flash flooding across much of Houghton County from Chassell through Houghton/Hancock to Dollar Bay, Hubbell and Lake Linden. The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas indicated a 1000-year recurrence ... | 1 | 0 | $118M | |
| 2023-01-29 | Winter WeatherHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton Two-day snowfall totals from the morning of the 29th into the morning of the 31st ranged from 12 to 18 inches across much of northern Houghton County. On the afternoon of the 31st, the snowfall likely contributed to a two-car accident on Highway M-26 near Painesdale in which two people sustained minor injuries. A ... | 0 | 2 | $24K | |
| 2009-10-12 | Winter WeatherHoughton County · forecast zone Northern Houghton Several observers measured two inches of snow during the event. Despite the minimal snowfall, the state police post in Calumet reported several traffic accidents due to the snow-covered and slippery highways. One minor injury was also reported. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-17 | Flash FloodAlcone, Houghton County | 1 | 0 | $118M | |
| 2023-04-12 | FloodOsceola, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | $17M | |
| 2025-07-23 | Flash FloodChassell, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2013-04-28 | FloodSidnaw Grooms Airport, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1998-11-11 | High WindHoughton County · forecast zone Houghton | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2018-07-21 | Flash FloodRedridge, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2025-06-21 | Flash FloodChassell, Houghton County | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2016-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindLake Roland, Houghton County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $98K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 11, 1987 (tornado, Houghton 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 Houghton 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 | – | – | – | – | 30 | 149 | 263 | 151 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 44 | 22 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 27 | 7 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 23 | 26 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 5 | 17 | 28 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 9 | 13 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% 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 146 · Feb 140 · Mar 76 · Apr 87 · May 40 · Jun 83 · Jul 89 · Aug 39 · Sep 32 · Oct 34 · Nov 89 · Dec 150 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Houghton County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Houghton 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 Houghton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 29 flood or flash flood records for Houghton County from 2002 to 2026, on 25 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Houghton County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $117,000 on 6 claims filed in Houghton County; the most in one year was 4 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2014: 2 · 2018: 4; 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 Houghton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Houghton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $346K | 35 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $226K | 22 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.5M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $219K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $194K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $11K | once in about 3,089 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $5K | 2.5 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 Houghton 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 Houghton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Houghton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis