Keweenaw County, Michigan severe weather history spans 41 recorded events between 1955 and 2023. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,083 nationally and #83 in Michigan.
41
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Keweenaw County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Keweenaw County, Michigan severe weather history averages 0.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 13 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 37 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $1.1M 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 Keweenaw County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 23 | 0 | $73K | 84 | 1983–2023 |
| Hail | 7 | 0 | $5K | 2 | 1955–2017 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2017 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $3K | F0 | 1987–2003 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Keweenaw County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Local media reported Highway M-26 was closed on the evening of the 22nd due to the collapse of a retaining wall at the Silver River Bridge in Keweenaw County. The bridge's already compromised stone retaining wall eroded due to the heavy runoff from spring snow melt forcing the closure of Highway M-26. Traffic has been rerouted along US Highway 41. While MDOT was already planning on a $2.9 million project to remove and replace the bridge this summer, the snowmelt runoff contributed to the bridge failure closing the road sooner than anticipated.
Rapid melting of significant late season snow pack caused minor to moerate flooding of Highway M-26 between Eagle River and Copper Harbor and along the Gay-Lac La Belle Road from the 28th into the 30th. Minor flooding continued into early May. Some flooding of basements was also reported. Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster in Keweenaw County where over $ 72,000 of property damage occurred due to the flooding mainly to roadway infrastructure.
The Keweenaw County Sheriff reported a 150-yard stretch of approximately 40 trees uprooted or snapped just west of Copper Harbor. The trees ranged from 6 to 18 inches in diameter and fell in the same general direction. Several of the trees fell across Highway M-26 closing the highway.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,133
Population (ACS)
$170K
Median home value
5
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 18, 2013 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| 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 Keweenaw County, Michigan?
41 events are on record between 1955 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $1.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Keweenaw County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 23 recorded events — 56.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Keweenaw County?
5 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Keweenaw County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Keweenaw County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Keweenaw County as very low risk, placing it in the 1 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Keweenaw 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
- Kent County 497
- Lake County 79
- Kalkaska County 77
- Lapeer County 390
- Kalamazoo County 367
- Leelanau County 99
Cite this page
“Keweenaw County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/keweenaw-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.