161
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$3.7M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Bay County, Michigan: 161 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 85. That places the county #1,420 nationally and #30 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Bay County, Michigan: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Bay County is the 2000s, when 48 of the county's 161 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Bay County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 55.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,420 for this hazard and #30 within Michigan, putting it in the 54.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Bay County with 41 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1998 | LINWOOD | 70 | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jun 18, 1992 | 0 | 0 | 5 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2025 | WILLARD | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2025 | TOBICO | 57 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2025 | LINWOOD | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2025 | PINCONNING | 54 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | BAY CITY MUNI ARPT | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | KAWKAWLIN | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | AUBURN | 55 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | PINCONNING | 54 | $0 |
| Aug 27, 2024 | FISHERVILLE | 54 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | BAY CITY | 56 | $50K |
Other hazards here
More from Bay County
- Hail 97
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A local newspaper reported that a coal stacker at the Karn-Weadock power plant was destroyed after being toppled by thunderstorm winds. A plant spokesman estimated wind gusts at 80 MPH. Total damages were estimated at roughly $1.5M.
County police reported trees and power lines down all over Bay city. A large tree branch also landed on a car on the south side of the city. Siding was blown off houses across the north side of the city, along with fences blown down.
A few trees, large limbs, and power lines were downed by thunderstorm wind gusts in Bay City. Lightning struck two male golfers at the Twin Oaks Golf Course about nine miles southwest of Bay City. One of the men suffered severe burns on his right leg. In addition, a small child was hit by lightning in Bay City. At least one home caught fire as a result of a lightning strike.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Bay County, Michigan?
161 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Bay County between 1960 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Bay County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Bay County measured 85.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Bay County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Bay County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/bay-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.