Houghton County, Michigan severe weather history spans 242 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,160 nationally and #36 in Michigan.
242
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$128.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Houghton County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Houghton County, Michigan severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 96 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 23 events fall before 1990 and 219 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Houghton County, Michigan record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $106.8M 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 Houghton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 118 | 0 | $395K | 83 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 78 | 0 | $10K | 2.75 | 1971–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 18 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $21.4M | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 1 | $106.8M | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2011–2013 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $3K | F0 | 1987–1987 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Houghton County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-07-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Houghton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2018 | Flash Flood | ALCONE | 1 | 0 | $100.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three to nearly seven inches of rainfall in the early morning hours of the 17th caused widespread and catastrophic flash flooding across much of Houghton County from Chassell through Houghton/Hancock to Dollar Bay, Hubbell and Lake Linden. The NOAA Precipitation Frequency Atlas indicated a 1000-year recurrence interval for rainfall amounts of the magnitude which occurred during this event. The Houghton County emergency manager reported that nearly all roads were impassable in central and southern Houghton County. Many homes and businesses were flooded throughout the area, particularly in Houghton/Hancock where one fatality occurred when a basement collapsed at a home on Canal Road. The Administration Building at Michigan Tech University also sustained flood damage. Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster for Houghton County a day after the flooding occurred and damage estimates from flooding are currently over $100 million. Recovery efforts will be ongoing over Houghton County for the next several months.
A flash flood impacted the Lake Linden, MI area early on April 12th after a culvert under railroad tracks failed and released a flood wave resulting in an estimated $150,000 in|damages. The flooding prompted a state of emergency declaration for Houghton County by Governor Whitmer. The culvert was recently installed as part of repairs following the Father���s Day flooding in 2018. There was also prolonged snowmelt flooding along the Sturgeon River which lasted through the 24th.
Flash flooding resulted in several washouts in the Chassell area, including Massie Road, Chassell-Painesdale Road, and Bootjack Road. Some of these areas experienced flooding in the recent past, including June 2025. Floodwaters impacted a few residences on Lakeshore Drive as well. US-41 had one foot of flowing water over the roadway near Chassell, resulting in a closure of one lane.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
37,693
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 2, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 18, 2013 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| May 6, 2002 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Houghton County, Michigan?
242 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $128.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Houghton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 118 recorded events — 48.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Houghton County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Houghton County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Houghton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Houghton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Houghton County as very low risk, placing it in the 24 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Houghton 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
- Hillsdale County 328
- Huron County 294
- Gratiot County 159
- Ingham County 311
- Grand Traverse County 173
- Ionia County 216
Cite this page
“Houghton County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/houghton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.