Gladwin County, Michigan severe weather history spans 141 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,739 nationally and #56 in Michigan.
141
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$18.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Gladwin County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Gladwin County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 34 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 114 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Gladwin County, Michigan record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $11.2M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Gladwin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 80 | 0 | $533K | 78 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1983–2026 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $293K | F3 | 1955–2024 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $11.2M | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 4 | 0 | $6.6M | 0 | 2008–2020 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Gladwin County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
10 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-03-30 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 11.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-06-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-06-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-06-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-09-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-07-23 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Gladwin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 1996 | Lightning | GLADWIN | 1 | 6 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread areal flooding developed on the 18th, and persisted for several days. Most creeks and rivers in Gladwin County rose out of their banks. Several hundred miles of roads across the county were closed at various times. The Tobacco River at Beaverton rose to a record crest of 14.32 feet on the morning of the 19th. Somewhat more than 100 residents were evacuated from their homes, including people living below the Chappel Dam on the Cedar River. The M-30 bridge across the Tobacco River where it enters Wixom Lake was destroyed.
An EF-1 tornado touched down in northern Gladwin County, starting near Lake Lancer and ending near the East Branch of the Tittabawassee River. There was some minor home damage around Lake Lancer, with mainly tree damage as it moved east.
Radar estimated that two to four inches of rain fell in Butman Township between 1 and 3 PM EDT. The resulting runoff caused localized flash flooding. Water covered Sugar River Road, west of Leatonville Road. Substantial roadbed erosion occurred along Hockaday Road, Ritchie Road just west of Hockaday, and at the intersection of Butman and Cemetary Roads.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,693
Population (ACS)
$162K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2020 | Dam/Levee Break | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 21, 2020 | Dam/Levee Break | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | EM |
| 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Gladwin County, Michigan?
141 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $18.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Gladwin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 80 recorded events — 56.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Gladwin County?
10 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Gladwin County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Gladwin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Gladwin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gladwin County as very low risk, placing it in the 40 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Gladwin 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
- Genesee County 756
- Gogebic County 224
- Emmet County 84
- Grand Traverse County 173
- Eaton County 230
- Gratiot County 159
Cite this page
“Gladwin County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/gladwin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.