Crawford County, Michigan severe weather history spans 122 recorded events between 1967 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,808 nationally and #62 in Michigan.
122
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
15
Direct injuries
$2.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Crawford County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Crawford County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 37 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 24 events fall before 1990 and 98 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $2.2M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Crawford County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 63 | 0 | $2.2M | 70 | 1967–2021 |
| Hail | 45 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1980–2023 |
| Tornado | 12 | 0 | $519K | F2 | 1973–2024 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $6K | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Crawford County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 14 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-09-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-08-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-07-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-09-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-06-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Crawford County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 14 | $250K | |
| Aug 2, 2006 | Lightning | CAMP GRAYLING | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The swath of damaging winds continued from further west, but damage was becoming less widespread and more spotty with time. Still, there were occasional pockets were dozens of trees were downed, especially from Frederic to near Grayling. Tress took down power lines, and damaged cars, homes, and businesses. Almost 100 buildings suffered some degree of damage due to the storm.
Sporadic tree damage occurred from Frederic southward to Lake Margrethe and Grayling. Downed trees damaged some homes and vehicles in the area, and a few roads were impassable for several hours until debris could be cleared. The winds also destroyed a swimming pool and shredded a large 7-Eleven sign. Some 3600 Consumers Energy customers lost power (some of whom were in Roscommon County).
This EF1 tornado impacted the Forest Dunes Golf Club. The initial touchdown was near the entrance to the club. Damage along the first half of the path was sporadic, with some trees uprooted and/or snapped. Damage intensity increased as the tornado reached a clear-cut area adjacent to its path, allowing the winds to more directly strike a large stand of trees. Damage in this one stand, alongside one of the fairways at the club, was considerable, with the majority of the trees felled. All told, over 100 trees were uprooted and/or snapped, including a mix of hardwoods and softwoods. Maximum winds were estimated at 100 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,369
Population (ACS)
$163K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 27, 1999 | Snowstorm | MI – SEVERE WEATHER 1/2 /99 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Crawford County, Michigan?
122 events are on record between 1967 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Crawford County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 63 recorded events — 51.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Crawford County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Crawford County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Crawford County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Crawford County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Crawford County as very low risk, placing it in the 18 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Crawford 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
- Clinton County 255
- Delta County 271
- Clare County 125
- Dickinson County 248
- Chippewa County 119
- Eaton County 230
Cite this page
“Crawford County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/crawford-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.