Tuscola County, Michigan
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 26157 · population 53,321 · 805 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 487 records for Tuscola County, Michigan from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 338 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (221 records). The most damaging was the June 21, 1996 flash flood ($12.2 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1972, 10 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
- 487on 338 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 013 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $53Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 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 Tuscola County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 221 since 1968. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1968 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 | 221 | 134 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $791K | 32 of 83 |
| Hail | 89 | 63 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $995K | 33 of 83 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 66 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $5.0M | 81 of 83 |
| High wind and dust storms | 32 | 32 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 19 of 83 |
| Floods | 23 | 20 | 1996-2020 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 23 of 83 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 19 | 1965-2024 | 0 | 2 | $8.7M | 32 of 83 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 10 | $1.7M | 30 of 83 |
| Heat | 14 | 14 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 1 | – | 15 of 83 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2001-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 83 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | $146K | 62 of 83 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 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 Tuscola County had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Tuscola County from 1965 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 32nd 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched Tuscola County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 22: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Michigan.
Every tornado record filed for Tuscola County (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-17 | Elmwood, Tuscola County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-08-01 | Wahjamega, Tuscola County | EF0 0.41 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-08-01 | Vassar, Tuscola County | EF0 2.35 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-08-17 | Kingston, Tuscola County | EF0 3.07 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-22 | Tuscola County | EF2 8.86 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $685K |
| 2015-06-22 | Deford, Tuscola County | EF0 1.06 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2007-10-19 | Deford, Tuscola County | EF1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $569K |
| 2007-10-19 | Millington, Tuscola County | EF1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $712K |
| 2004-05-22 | Millington, Tuscola County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2003-11-12 | Akron, Tuscola County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $160K |
| 2001-10-24 | Quanicassee, Tuscola County | F0 6.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 1999-08-26 | Reese, Tuscola County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-05-06 | Kingston, Tuscola County | F0 1.7 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-30 | Cass City, Tuscola County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1984-08-07 | Tuscola County | F2 0.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-07-29 | Tuscola County | F1 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-06-20 | Tuscola County | F1 4.6 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-06-15 | Tuscola County | F2 6 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-07-04 | Tuscola County | F1 0.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-05-24 | Tuscola County | F2 10.4 mi x 1,100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1968-06-07 | Tuscola County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Tuscola County | F2 9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Tuscola 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 HeatTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindEast Dayton, Tuscola County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindDeford, Tuscola County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindBay Park, Tuscola County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailColumbia Corners, Tuscola County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-17 | HailUnionville, Tuscola County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-13 | HailCass City, Tuscola County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-12 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Lake, Tuscola County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-24 | Thunderstorm WindMillington, Tuscola County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-09 | Thunderstorm WindReese, Tuscola County | 50 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-02-03 | Cold/Wind ChillTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola 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 | |
| 2007-10-19 | TornadoMillington, Tuscola County This tornado touched down at 0016EST, just southwest of the town of Millington, near the intersection of Barnes and Fulmer roads. It tracked northeastward and was on the ground for 2 miles before lifting near Main street and Caine Road in Millington. This tornado was rated a strong EF1 with winds estimated around 105 ... | EF1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $712K |
| 2006-05-29 | HeatTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola 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 | 1 | – | |
| 1971-05-24 | TornadoTuscola County | F2 10.4 mi x 1,100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-06-21 | Flash FloodCountywide, Tuscola County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2019-05-25 | FloodReese, Tuscola County | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 1996-05-21 | FloodTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2003-11-12 | High WindTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 2018-05-04 | High WindTuscola County · forecast zone Tuscola | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $999K |
| 1994-07-06 | HailCaro, Tuscola County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 2007-10-19 | TornadoMillington, Tuscola County | EF1 2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 1 | $712K |
| 2015-06-22 | TornadoTuscola County | EF2 8.86 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $685K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 24, 1971 (tornado, Tuscola County); April 11, 1965 (tornado, Tuscola County); June 15, 1982 (tornado, Tuscola 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 Tuscola 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 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 43 | 66 | 62 | 35 |
| Hail | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 43 | 12 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 39 | 13 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 13 | 9 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
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 severe thunderstorm wind events since 1968 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 26 · Feb 29 · Mar 32 · Apr 27 · May 66 · Jun 82 · Jul 91 · Aug 60 · Sep 21 · Oct 19 · Nov 13 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Tuscola County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Tuscola County: 8 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | DR-4925 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2001-01-10 | EM-3160 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1996-07-23 | DR-1128 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1976-03-19 | DR-495 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Icing & Flooding |
| 1973-04-12 | DR-371 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-12-01 | DR-363 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Tuscola County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Tuscola County from 1996 to 2020, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tuscola County ranks 1159th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.0 million on 133 claims filed in Tuscola County; the most in one year was 54 in 1986. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 1 · 1980: 2 · 1983: 12 · 1985: 9 · 1986: 54 · 1987: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 20 · 1997: 7 · 1998: 1 · 2009: 6 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 2; 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 Tuscola County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tuscola County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $27.6 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 | $1.8M | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $353K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.1M | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $16M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $185K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $436K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $196K | 31 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Tuscola 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 Tuscola CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Tuscola County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis