Lenawee County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26091 · population 99,376 · 750 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 666 records for Lenawee County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 418 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (318 records). The deadliest day on its record was April 11, 1965: tornado records filed for Lenawee County that day count 9 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1965, 4 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
- 666on 418 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10110 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $290Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 33strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 6latest 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 Lenawee County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 318 since 1962. 49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 318 | 190 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 8 | $8.1M | 15 of 83 |
| Hail | 136 | 81 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 1 | $4.1M | 11 of 83 |
| Winter storms | 61 | 58 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 83 of 83 |
| Floods | 34 | 28 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 11 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $27M | 18 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 28 | 1954-2021 | 9 | 89 | $239M | 18 of 83 |
| Lightning | 18 | 14 | 1997-2007 | 1 | 0 | $1.4M | 7 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 16 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 10 | $3.5M | 25 of 83 |
| Heat | 15 | 15 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 2 | – | 12 of 83 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 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 Lenawee County had?
NOAA records 33 tornadoes in Lenawee County from 1954 to 2021, the strongest rated F4, with 9 deaths and 89 injuries recorded in the county. That is 18th of 83 Michigan counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Lenawee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 33, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 44 people, 9 of them in Lenawee County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 18:00, as SPC files it | TecumsehCrossed IN, MI | F4 | 90.3 mi | 23 |
| 1965-04-11 18:40, as SPC files it | Tecumseh | F4 | 80.5 mi | 21 |
| 1964-08-22 13:35, as SPC files it | Onsted | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Lenawee County (33)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-20 | Riga, Lenawee County | EF1 2.69 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $272K |
| 2010-06-06 | Rome Center, Lenawee County | EF1 2.48 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $677K |
| 2006-06-21 | Addison, Lenawee County | F0 2.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 1999-05-23 | Rome Center, Lenawee County | F1 4.9 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 1998-03-28 | Tipton, Lenawee County | F1 0.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 1994-06-20 | Blissfield, Lenawee County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1988-05-15 | Lenawee County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1988-04-03 | Lenawee County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-07-31 | Lenawee County | F0 3.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1987-06-29 | Lenawee County | F1 0.8 mi x 147 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1986-07-15 | Lenawee County | F0 0.2 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-05-27 | Lenawee County | F1 4.9 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Lenawee County | F2 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Lenawee County | F2 5.9 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Lenawee County | F2 1.9 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-04-12 | Lenawee County | F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-08-29 | Lenawee County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-06-20 | Lenawee County | F2 0.6 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-06-24 | Lenawee County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-12 | Lenawee County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Lenawee County | F2 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Lenawee County | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-26 | Lenawee County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-06-16 | Lenawee County | F1 2.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-08-18 | Lenawee County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Lenawee County | F4 23.2 mi x 33 yd | 4 | 41 | – |
| 1965-04-11 | Lenawee County | F4 23.2 mi x 1,760 yd | 5 | 42 | $25M step |
| 1964-08-22 | Lenawee County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-08-22 | Lenawee County | F3 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1962-08-26 | Lenawee County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-08-03 | Lenawee County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1956-04-14 | Lenawee County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1954-06-12 | Lenawee County | F0 0.1 mi x 7 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 Lenawee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 13, 2026 high wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Excessive HeatLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindTecumseh Airport, Lenawee County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindOnsted, Lenawee County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindCement City, Lenawee County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Lenawee County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindCone, Lenawee County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-26 | HailBlissfield Betz Airport, Lenawee County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-08-16 | HailClinton, Lenawee County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-12 | Thunderstorm WindBritton, Lenawee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindTipton, Lenawee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindCambridge Jct, Lenawee County | 42 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoLenawee County | F4 23.2 mi x 1,760 yd | 5 | 42 | $25M step |
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoLenawee County | F4 23.2 mi x 33 yd | 4 | 41 | – |
| 2003-08-01 | LightningAdrian, Lenawee County A woman was struck by lightning and killed standing in her backyard. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-02-03 | Cold/Wind ChillLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee A bitter cold airmass blasted into the region on Saturday, February the 3rd and persisted through Tuesday, February the 6th. Temperatures through this period were 20 to 25 degrees below normal. Daytime temps struggled to reach 10 degrees while subzero temperatures occurred all 3 nights. Flint set 2 temperature records ... | 0 | 10 | $36K | |
| 2000-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Lenawee County A strong cold front moved slowly south across southeast Michigan during the afternoon and evening of the 9th. Thunderstorms developed in the warm, humid air out ahead of the cold front. A number of these became severe, producing the worst severe thunderstorm outbreak in metro Detroit in almost two years. The ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $1.6M |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoLenawee County | F2 | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 2006-05-29 | HeatLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee An early season heat wave, leading to an unusually hot Memorial Day, resulted in dozens of people suffering from heat related illnesses. Near record to record setting high temperatures, in the low to mid 90's, sent some people to the hospital. The official high temperatures for the day ranged from 88 to 93 degrees. Of ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1986-09-26 | Thunderstorm WindLenawee County | 0 | 2 | – |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-03-08 | High WindLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $18M |
| 2011-02-20 | Ice StormLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 1996-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindHudson, Lenawee County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 1996-04-12 | HailAdrian, Lenawee County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 1999-01-11 | Cold/Wind ChillLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2018-05-04 | High WindLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2000-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindAdrian, Lenawee County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $1.6M |
| 2023-02-22 | Ice StormLenawee County · forecast zone Lenawee | 0 | 0 | $969K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 11, 1965 (tornado, Lenawee County, 5 killed).
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 Lenawee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 59 | 103 | 74 | 44 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 30 | 62 | 23 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 33 | 14 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 18 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 10 | 12 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1962 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 31 · Mar 40 · Apr 40 · May 99 · Jun 142 · Jul 118 · Aug 80 · Sep 34 · Oct 9 · Nov 15 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lenawee County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Lenawee County: 2 major disasters, 4 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 |
| 1999-01-27 | EM-3137 | Snowstorm | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 |
| 1978-01-27 | EM-3057 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1965-04-14 | DR-190 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Severe Storms |
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 Lenawee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 34 flood or flash flood records for Lenawee County from 1996 to 2020, on 28 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lenawee County ranks 1569th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $345,000 on 60 claims filed in Lenawee County; the most in one year was 13 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1981: 5 · 1982: 13 · 1983: 2 · 1985: 3 · 1987: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1996: 3 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 4 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 5 · 2011: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 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 Lenawee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lenawee County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $30.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.2M | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.7M | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $343K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $545K | 38 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $15M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $550K | once in about 887 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lenawee 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in MichiganThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Lenawee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lenawee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis