Schoolcraft County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26153 · population 8,040 · 1,172 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 556 records for Schoolcraft County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 404 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (376 records). 462 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 27, 2023 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft, which covers the county: 2 deaths, 1 injury and $48,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1977, 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
- 556on 404 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 513 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.2Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F3
- 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 Schoolcraft County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 376 since 1996. 46% of its winter storm records since 1996 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 | 376 | 279 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 11 | $336K | 22 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 54 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 83 |
| Hail | 44 | 34 | 1987-2024 | 0 | 0 | $184K | 77 of 83 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 39 | 33 | 1983-2025 | 0 | 1 | $2.8M | 81 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 16 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | 63 of 83 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 9 | 5 | 2006-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 83 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2012-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1975-1987 | 0 | 1 | $136K | 80 of 83 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2012-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 83 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 21 of 83 |
| Floods | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 81 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 Schoolcraft County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Schoolcraft County from 1975 to 1987, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Schoolcraft County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-11 13:05, as SPC files it | Norway to Gladstone | F3 | 71 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Schoolcraft County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-11 | Schoolcraft County | F3 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-07-14 | Schoolcraft County | F2 18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1975-07-11 | Schoolcraft 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 Schoolcraft County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 6, 2026 winter weather (1 death and 4 injuries).
Broadcast media reported lake effect snow causing portions of US-2 in southern Schoolcraft County to experience near-whiteout conditions and icy roads at the time of a two-vehicle crash that caused the death of a 38-year old woman and 4 other injuries and briefly caused a road closure. Key impacts: road closure, vehicle accidents.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1320018)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-02 | Ice StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Ice StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-12 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2026-01-28 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-27 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft Poor visibility due to snow and blowing snow and slippery roads likely contributed to a fatal multi-vehicle accident in Garden Township on the afternoon of the 27th. A semi-truck driving westbound lost control and struck a Toyota SUV head-on killing the husband and wife occupants of the Toyota, a 47-year-old male and ... | 2 | 1 | $48K | |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft Broadcast media reported lake effect snow causing portions of US-2 in southern Schoolcraft County to experience near-whiteout conditions and icy roads at the time of a two-vehicle crash that caused the death of a 38-year old woman and 4 other injuries and briefly caused a road closure. Key impacts: road closure, ... | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2017-03-03 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft Lake effect snow and poor visibility contributed to a fatal car accident which occurred on US-2 near Gulliver on the early morning of the 3rd. A semi-truck was westbound and a pickup truck was eastbound when one of the drivers lost control and the vehicles collided on US-2 west of Jackson Road in Doyle Township around ... | 1 | 3 | $120K | |
| 2013-01-30 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft There was a report of eight inches of snow in Seney in less than nine hours. Poor road conditions and poor visibility in blowing snow were common. The Michigan State Police reported that slippery roads contributed to a fatal accident that occurred just west of the Seney rest area around 4 pm EST on the 30th. A ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-01-26 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft Fine-flaked lake effect snow and blowing snow resulted in poor visibility across the county on the 27th. The near whiteout conditions contributed to a multi-vehicle crash and pileup along the Seney Stretch of Highway M-28 on the early afternoon of the 27th. A total of eight vehicles were damaged with numerous other ... | 0 | 3 | $92K | |
| 1984-07-14 | TornadoSchoolcraft County | F2 18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1984-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindSchoolcraft County | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-11-10 | High WindSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Schoolcraft | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | |
| 1997-10-05 | Thunderstorm WindCooks, Schoolcraft County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2023-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindSteuben, Schoolcraft County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $484K |
| 2017-03-03 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 1 | 3 | $120K | |
| 2019-01-26 | Winter StormSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Northern Schoolcraft | 0 | 3 | $92K | |
| 2023-01-27 | Winter WeatherSchoolcraft County · forecast zone Southern Schoolcraft | 2 | 1 | $48K | |
| 2021-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindSteuben, Schoolcraft County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2024-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindGulliver, Schoolcraft County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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: July 14, 1984 (tornado, Schoolcraft County); July 11, 1987 (tornado, Schoolcraft 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 Schoolcraft 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 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 105 | 156 | 103 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 13 | 27 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 10 | 3 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 4 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 11 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 123 · Feb 97 · Mar 54 · Apr 31 · May 7 · Jun 37 · Jul 42 · Aug 13 · Sep 8 · Oct 14 · Nov 58 · Dec 72 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Schoolcraft County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Schoolcraft County: 2 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and hurricane (1).
| 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 |
| 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 Schoolcraft County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1 flood or flash flood record for Schoolcraft County from 1996 to 1996, on 1 day, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Schoolcraft County ranks 2756th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $10,000 on 2 claims filed in Schoolcraft County; the most in one year was 1 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2004: 1 · 2020: 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 Schoolcraft County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Schoolcraft County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $207K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $392K | 2.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $821 | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $17K | once in about 2,805 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.6M | once in about 28 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $64K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | $0 | once in about 176,767,135 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $133 | 0.6 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 Schoolcraft 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 Schoolcraft CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Schoolcraft County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis