Bay County, Michigan severe weather history spans 290 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,832 nationally and #28 in Michigan.
290
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$35.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Bay County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bay County, Michigan severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 112 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 259 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bay County, Michigan record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $20.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 161 | 1 | $3.7M | 85 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 97 | 0 | $20.1M | 3 | 1962–2023 |
| Tornado | 14 | 0 | $3.0M | F3 | 1957–2016 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 1 | $5.3M | 0 | 1996–2017 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $63K | 0 | 2005–2006 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $3.6M | 0 | 2012–2020 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Bay County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984-06-12 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 48.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-07-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 9.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-10-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-09-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-07-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-06-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | LINWOOD | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jun 22, 1996 | Flash Flood | SRN 1/2 OF CO. | 1 | 0 | $2.2M |
| Jun 18, 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Jul 24, 1999 | Hail | BAY CITY | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 12, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A local newspaper reported that a coal stacker at the Karn-Weadock power plant was destroyed after being toppled by thunderstorm winds. A plant spokesman estimated wind gusts at 80 MPH. Total damages were estimated at roughly $1.5M.
The tornado was rated EF1 with maximum winds to 95 mph. The path width was 200 yards with a path length of 8.4 miles. The tornado started near Parish road and 11 mile road just west of the community of Beaver. The tornado then moved through Beaver, crossed Interstate 75, and finally across the south part of Linwood before moving out to Saginaw Bay at 737 pm. A barn was destroyed and homes were damaged near Beaver, mostly to garages and roofing material. Numerous trees were uprooted with snapped large limbs.
A tornado touched down 3.5 miles east of the town of Munger. The tornado struck a farmstead on Briggs Road. Property damage from the tornado included, complete destruction of a small barn and garage, a grain silo being lifted off its foundation, and minor damage to the siding and front porch of the main house. The tornado then moved northeast into Tuscola County.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
103,008
Population (ACS)
$152K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 2, 2017 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 10, 2001 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Jun 24, 1998 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bay County, Michigan?
290 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $35.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bay County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 161 recorded events — 55.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bay County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bay County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bay County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 78 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bay County, Michigan severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Barry County 251
- Benzie County 62
- Baraga County 154
- Berrien County 505
- Arenac County 121
- Branch County 329
Cite this page
“Bay County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/bay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.