Genesee County, Michigan severe weather history spans 756 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #336 nationally and #4 in Michigan.
756
Recorded events
121
Direct deaths
925
Direct injuries
$116.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Genesee County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Genesee County, Michigan severe weather history averages 10.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 265 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 114 events fall before 1990 and 642 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Genesee County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 120 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $80.6M 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 Genesee County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 455 | 0 | $7.6M | 85 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 215 | 0 | $20.0M | 3 | 1961–2025 |
| Tornado | 50 | 120 | $80.6M | F5 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 16 | 0 | $7.6M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 15 | 1 | $223K | 0 | 1996–2014 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $200K | 0 | 2009–2024 |
Decade by decade
Genesee County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
49 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 45 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-06-08 | EF5 | 116 | 844 | 18.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-05-12 | EF4 | 3 | 116 | 6.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-02 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-07-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-08-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-07-14 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-02-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-24 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 23.5 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Genesee County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | 116 | 785 | $25.0M | |
| May 12, 1956 | Tornado | 3 | 116 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 23, 1999 | Lightning | FENTON | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | Tornado | CLIO | 1 | 1 | $3.8M |
| Jun 21, 1997 | Lightning | OTISVILLE | 0 | 8 | $0 |
| Apr 8, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Sep 22, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLIO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2007 | Tornado | FENTON | 0 | 1 | $13.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A thunderstorm quickly rolled into Silver Lake Park near Fenton. Beachgoers at the park quickly gathered up their things and raced to their cars, but the last group off the beach was not quite quick enough. Lightning struck an adult female and an eight year old girl, about five feet away from their car. Rescue workers were briefly able to resuscitate the adult, but she died soon after arriving at a local hospital. The girl was treated for her injuries at the hospital, and was released the following day.
This is the same tornado that began in Livingston County's Cohoctah Township. The tornado crossed into Genesee County approximately 3 miles west southwest of Fenton at 1649EST. The City of Fenton sustained the greatest amount of damage where the tornado path widened to approximately one-quarter mile, including the snapping and uprooting of hundreds of trees, de-roofing of both residential and municipal structures, and the partial collapse of a large retail structure near the intersection of Owen Road and U.S. 23. Of the approximately 250 homes/buildings damaged in Fenton, two were destroyed and five sustained major damage. The tornado was rated as EF2 in Fenton with wind speeds estimated at approximately 130 MPH. The average path width in Genesee County was 350 yards. One person in Fenton received minor injuries after being struck by flying glass. The tornado exited Genesee County one mile east of Fenton at 1700EST and then continued in Oakland County for another 5.5 miles.
Four to seven inches of rain falling in less than 12 hours lead to extensive flooding. |Flint Bishop Airport reported 5.62 inches. Dozens of homes flooded with numerous roads shut down, including sections of I-75 and I-69. Especially hard hit was Swartz Creek and Flint Township. Residents of Apple Creek Apartment in Swartz Creek had to evacuate. In Grand Blanc Township, Knollwood Apartments, located off of Hill Road, saw the worst of the damage. The far eastern side of the apartment complex saw the bulk of the damage, with water nearly submerging at least 30 cars, flooding basements, damaging first floors and knocking out the power. The total cost to Knollwood for the damage was more than $1.7 million.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
403,305
Population (ACS)
$182K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jan 16, 2016 | Toxic Substances | CONTAMINATED WATER | EM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 23, 2003 | Other | POWER OUTAGE | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Genesee County, Michigan?
756 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 121 direct deaths and $116.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Genesee County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 455 recorded events — 60.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Genesee County?
49 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 45 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Genesee County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Genesee County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Genesee County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Genesee County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Genesee 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
- Emmet County 84
- Gladwin County 141
- Eaton County 230
- Gogebic County 224
- Dickinson County 248
- Grand Traverse County 173
Cite this page
“Genesee County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/genesee-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.