Newaygo County, Michigan severe weather history spans 179 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,557 nationally and #44 in Michigan.
179
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$14.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Newaygo County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Newaygo County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 64 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 35 events fall before 1990 and 144 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Newaygo County, Michigan record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $10.8M 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 Newaygo County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 98 | 2 | $3.0M | 74 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 54 | 0 | $325K | 2.5 | 1958–2025 |
| Tornado | 14 | 2 | $190K | F2 | 1951–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $350K | 0 | 1997–2011 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $10.8M | 0 | 2013–2020 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Newaygo County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975-06-17 | EF2 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-09-26 | EF2 | 1 | 3 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-09-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-08-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-04-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Newaygo County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | NEWAYGO | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 27, 1951 | Tornado | 1 | 3 | $0 | |
| Jun 17, 1975 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Four hundred and three homes were impacted by flooding along the Muskegon River as a result of melting of a significant snow cover and significant rainfall on April 12. Significant damage was also incurred to area roads. Governor Synyder declared Newaygo county to be in a state of disaster.
Michigan State Police EMD's Damage and Injury Assessment Report indicated $1,237,000 in public damage costs, 48 homes destroyed, 690 homes damaged, and 15 businesses damaged across Newaygo County. Damage estimates for private property were not available. Newaygo County declared a local state of emergency and was granted a Governor's disaster declaration to activate state assistance for the county. On June 24th, President Clinton granted a Major Disaster Declaration for Newaygo County, making federal disaster assistance available.
Significant flooding occurred across the southern half of Newaygo county and campers in Henning Park just east northeast of Newaygo had to be evacuated. These campers were part of the Newaygo National Kayak and Canoeing Championships. Several roads in the county were closed due to flash flooding.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
50,792
Population (ACS)
$187K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| 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 |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Newaygo County, Michigan?
179 events are on record between 1951 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $14.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Newaygo County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 98 recorded events — 54.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Newaygo County?
15 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Newaygo County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Newaygo County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Newaygo County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Newaygo County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Newaygo 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
- Muskegon County 240
- Oakland County 1,064
- Montmorency County 109
- Oceana County 116
- Montcalm County 212
- Ogemaw County 167
Cite this page
“Newaygo County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/newaygo-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.