Mason County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26105 · population 29,050 · 495 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 258 records for Mason County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 226 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (126 records). 141 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 September 3, 2023 rip current, filed for the forecast zone Mason, which covers the county: 1 death. 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, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on July 14, 2008.
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
- 258on 226 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 113 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F2
- 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 Mason County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 126 since 1996. 64% 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 | 126 | 125 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $496K | 20 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 78 | 60 | 1976-2024 | 0 | 5 | $4.3M | 43 of 83 |
| Hail | 23 | 19 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $318K | 70 of 83 |
| Floods | 14 | 11 | 1997-2019 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 29 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 11 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | $6.2M | 34 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 3 | 1966-2008 | 0 | 8 | $18M | 71 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 11 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 Mason County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Mason County from 1966 to 2008, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 8 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 Mason 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 Mason County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-06-12 | Hamlin Lake Lake, Mason County | EF1 1.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-04-12 | Mason County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-04-12 | Mason County | F2 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 1972-04-12 | Mason County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1966-08-15 | Mason 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 Mason County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 3, 2023 rip current (1 death).
An 82 year old man drowned in 4 to 5 foot waves just south of Summit County Park at around 2 pm eastern standard time.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1127082)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-31 | HailFreesoil, Mason County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-18 | Winter StormMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-29 | Winter StormMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter StormMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-26 | Winter StormMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Heavy SnowMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-21 | Winter StormMason County · forecast zone Mason | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-09-03 | Rip CurrentMason County · forecast zone Mason | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-09-07 | HailFern, Mason County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $109K |
| 2019-07-20 | FloodFreesoil, Mason County | 0 | 0 | $577K | |
| 2019-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindWalhalla, Mason County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $289K |
| 2018-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindHamlin Lake, Mason County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $176K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-09-03 | Rip CurrentMason County · forecast zone Mason An 82 year old man drowned in 4 to 5 foot waves just south of Summit County Park at around 2 pm eastern standard time. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1972-04-12 | TornadoMason County | F2 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 8 | $2.5M step |
| 1998-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindLudington, Mason County Michigan Department of State Police - Emergency Management Division's (EMD's) Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated $398,000 in public damage costs, 66 homes damaged, 3 homes destroyed, and 4 businesses damaged. Five injuries were reported, one of which required hospitilization. In addition, 12 ... | 0 | 5 | $1.8M |
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 WindMason County · forecast zone Mason | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.0M |
| 2008-06-13 | Flash FloodHamlin Lake Lake, Mason County | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 1998-05-31 | Thunderstorm WindLudington, Mason County | 0 | 5 | $1.8M | |
| 2014-04-12 | Thunderstorm WindBass Lake, Mason County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $623K |
| 2019-07-20 | FloodFreesoil, Mason County | 0 | 0 | $577K | |
| 2019-07-19 | Thunderstorm WindWalhalla, Mason County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $289K |
| 2018-08-28 | Thunderstorm WindHamlin Lake, Mason County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $176K |
| 2021-09-07 | HailFern, Mason County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $109K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 12, 1972 (tornado, Mason 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 Mason 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 | – | – | – | – | 26 | 57 | 32 | 11 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 16 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
64% 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 45 · Feb 24 · Mar 16 · Apr 16 · May 19 · Jun 25 · Jul 19 · Aug 21 · Sep 12 · Oct 8 · Nov 14 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mason County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Mason County: 5 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and severe storm (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-27 | DR-4494 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3455 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2008-07-14 | DR-1777 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3225 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1998-06-24 | DR-1226 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 1986-09-18 | DR-774 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-09-18 | DR-744 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 Mason County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 14 flood or flash flood records for Mason County from 1997 to 2019, on 11 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Mason County ranks 2262nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $238,000 on 13 claims filed in Mason County; the most in one year was 4 in 1986. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1986: 4 · 1990: 1 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 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 Mason County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mason County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 | $459K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $540K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $540K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $89K | 29 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $22K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $22K | once in about 5,737 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Mason 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 Mason CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mason County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis