Kalkaska County, Michigan severe weather history spans 77 recorded events between 1963 and 2024. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,975 nationally and #80 in Michigan.
77
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Kalkaska County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Kalkaska County, Michigan severe weather history averages 1.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 27 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 69 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Kalkaska County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $1.3M 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 Kalkaska County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 46 | 0 | $735K | 78 | 1981–2021 |
| Hail | 19 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1963–2024 |
| Tornado | 8 | 1 | $1.3M | F2 | 1974–2014 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2005 |
| Flash Flood | 2 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2001–2006 |
Decade by decade
Kalkaska County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-10-18 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-07-23 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-09-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-09-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-07-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-08-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 16.6 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Kalkaska County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 2007 | Tornado | CROFTON | 1 | 1 | $1.1M |
| Jul 24, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Jun 27, 2005 | Lightning | KALKASKA | 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 Kalkaska tornado was the first killer tornado in Northern Lower Michigan in over 30 years. It touched down just south of Crofton, and tracked north-northeast, lifting just after crossing the Kalkaska County Airport. A home was damaged in a subdivision just south of Crofton. The most substantial damage, as well as the fatality, occurred near the intersection of US-131 and Crofton Road. A large metal warehouse was damaged, a single wide mobile home was destroyed, and several stick-built homes received moderate to severe damage. The fatality and injury occurred inside the mobile home. A 29 year old man was pulled from the mobile home, but passed away at a nearby hospital. Numerous large trees were also uprooted. The damage became more sporadic to the northeast, until another pocket of concentrated damage at the Kalkaska County Airport. Several hangars and small planes were damaged, as were several homes in the area. Sheet metal from one of the hangars was deposited near the Kalkaska Middle School. Winds were estimated at 120 mph, making it an EF2.
A swath of widespread wind damage continued across northern Kalkaska County. Hundreds of trees were downed, damaging vehicles and structures as they fell. Between 40 and 50 structures were believed damaged to some extent in Kalkaska County.
An EF-1 tornado impacted northeast Kalkaska County. Most of the damage was comprised of uprooted or broken hardwood and softwood trees. Several residences were damaged by falling trees. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
18,239
Population (ACS)
$189K
Median home value
7
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, 1978 | Snowstorm | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
77 events are on record between 1963 and 2024, causing 1 direct deaths and $2.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Kalkaska County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 46 recorded events — 59.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Kalkaska County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Kalkaska County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Kalkaska County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Kalkaska County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Kalkaska County as very low risk, placing it in the 21 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Kalkaska 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
- Kalamazoo County 367
- Kent County 497
- Jackson County 306
- Keweenaw County 41
- Isabella County 180
- Lake County 79
Cite this page
“Kalkaska County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/kalkaska-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.