Oscoda County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26135 · population 8,212 · 566 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 199 records for Oscoda County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 160 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (68 records). The deadliest single record is the July 23, 2011 lightning: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1977, 6 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
- 199on 160 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 24 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Oscoda County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 68 since 1997. 50% of its winter storm records since 1997 fell in January and February. 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 | 68 | 68 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $129K | 53 of 83 |
| Hail | 51 | 30 | 1983-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 51 | 43 | 1982-2021 | 0 | 1 | $391K | 64 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 6 | 1987-2007 | 0 | 2 | $4.7M | 59 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 1998-2021 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 76 of 83 |
| Floods | 3 | 3 | 2001-2006 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 72 of 83 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2001-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 83 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2004-2011 | 2 | 1 | – | 36 of 83 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | $878K | 3 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 Oscoda County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Oscoda County from 1987 to 2007, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 2 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Oscoda County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Oscoda County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-10-18 | Comins, Oscoda County | EF1 0.91 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2007-10-18 | Luzerne, Oscoda County | EF2 11.63 mi x 865 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 1999-07-03 | Comins, Oscoda County | F2 16 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.7M |
| 1997-07-02 | Luzerne, Oscoda County | F1 10 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-28 | Apn, Oscoda County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1993-04-24 | Lewiston, Oscoda County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1987-07-09 | Oscoda County | F1 4 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Oscoda County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 23, 2011 lightning (2 deaths and 1 injury).
A family was on a tubing outing on the Au Sable River. A thunderstorm rapidly developed, and they attempted to exit the river and find shelter. They were just out of the river, when three individuals were struck by lightning. Two women were pronounced dead at the scene. A man was transported to a hospital in Saginaw in critical condition. He would survive, but require a 10-day hospital stay, and considerable physical therapy after that. The survivor had no recollection of the incident.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 335418)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-31 | HailComins, Oscoda County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter StormOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Cold/Wind ChillOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-29 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-28 | Ice StormOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-03 | Winter StormOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-07-23 | LightningRed Oak, Oscoda County | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoComins, Oscoda County | EF1 0.91 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-07-23 | LightningRed Oak, Oscoda County A family was on a tubing outing on the Au Sable River. A thunderstorm rapidly developed, and they attempted to exit the river and find shelter. They were just out of the river, when three individuals were struck by lightning. Two women were pronounced dead at the scene. A man was transported to a hospital in Saginaw ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 1999-07-03 | TornadoComins, Oscoda County Continuation of Montmorency County tornado. Most extensive area of damage occurred here. See narrative below. Tornado continued into Alcona county. | F2 16 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.7M |
| 2006-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMio, Oscoda County Trees downed. One tree fell on a Mio resident, who suffered a broken back. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $15K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-03 | TornadoComins, Oscoda County | F2 16 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.7M |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoLuzerne, Oscoda County | EF2 11.63 mi x 865 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2006-04-30 | WildfireOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | $512K | |
| 2006-05-01 | WildfireOscoda County · forecast zone Oscoda | 0 | 0 | $366K | |
| 1993-04-24 | Thunderstorm WindLewiston, Oscoda County | 0 | 0 | $102K | |
| 1993-04-24 | TornadoLewiston, Oscoda County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoComins, Oscoda County | EF1 0.91 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $57K |
| 2006-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMio, Oscoda County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $15K |
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 $250, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 9, 1987 (tornado, Oscoda 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 Oscoda 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 | – | – | – | – | 10 | 33 | 16 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 2 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 4 |
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 1997 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 22 · Mar 15 · Apr 14 · May 15 · Jun 23 · Jul 42 · Aug 16 · Sep 1 · Oct 8 · Nov 7 · Dec 14 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Oscoda County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Oscoda County: 3 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and snowstorm (2).
| 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 |
| 1999-01-27 | EM-3137 | Snowstorm | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Oscoda County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Oscoda County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 26 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $190K | once in about 941 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $406K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $99K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $84K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.0M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $200K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Oscoda 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 Oscoda CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Oscoda County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis