Otsego County, Michigan severe weather history spans 151 recorded events between 1963 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,703 nationally and #54 in Michigan.
151
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
45
Direct injuries
$53.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Otsego County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Otsego County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 48 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 139 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Otsego County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $50.5M 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 Otsego County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 82 | 0 | $2.1M | 78 | 1963–2024 |
| Hail | 57 | 0 | $5K | 2 | 1993–2025 |
| Tornado | 5 | 2 | $50.5M | F3 | 1969–2022 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $503K | 0 | 1998–2009 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $16K | 0 | 2024–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $3K | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Otsego County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-20 | EF3 | 2 | 44 | 17.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-07-03 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 11.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-09-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-07-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-07-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Otsego County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2022 | Tornado | ELMIRA | 2 | 44 | $50.0M |
| Aug 28, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | GAYLORD OTSEGO ARPT | 0 | 1 | $1.2M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A swath of widespread wind damage extended from west-southwest to east of the city of Gaylord. Some of the most concentrated damage was along Van Tyle Road between Hayes Tower Road and Dickerson Road. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted. Several buildings and vehicles were damaged by falling trees. At least two homes were destroyed. One person was taken to the local hospital for minor injuries after a tree landed their home. The roof of a small business on the west side of Gaylord was partially removed. Power was knocked out to much of the area.
Widespread tree damage, and spotty structural damage, occurred in far southern Otsego County, near and east of Waters. Some residential areas east of Waters were inaccessible for many hours after the event, until downed trees could be cleared off of roads. Several vehicles and homes were damaged by fallen trees. One carport in Waters was blown a considerable distance.
A swath of wind damage occurred from west of Gaylord, to central Otsego Lake. Trees were downed along M-32, Hayes Tower Road, and West Otsego Lake Drive. One very large limb was downed onto a cabin near the Beaver Creek Resort. Some damage was done to boats and docks on Otsego Lake.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,584
Population (ACS)
$220K
Median home value
7
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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, 1999 | Snowstorm | MI – SEVERE WEATHER 1/2 /99 | EM |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Snowstorm | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Otsego County, Michigan?
151 events are on record between 1963 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $53.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Otsego County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 82 recorded events — 54.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Otsego County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Otsego County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Otsego County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Otsego County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Otsego County as very low risk, placing it in the 18 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Otsego 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
- Oscoda County 113
- Ottawa County 340
- Osceola County 101
- Presque Isle County 95
- Ontonagon County 145
- Roscommon County 172
Cite this page
“Otsego County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/otsego-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.