Iosco County, Michigan severe weather history spans 164 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,642 nationally and #49 in Michigan.
164
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$7.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Iosco County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Iosco County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 65 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 23 events fall before 1990 and 141 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Iosco County, Michigan record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $5.8M 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 Iosco County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 74 | 0 | $235K | 62 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 71 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1977–2018 |
| Tornado | 14 | 4 | $5.8M | F3 | 1953–2014 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2003–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $3K | 0 | 2003–2003 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | 0 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Iosco County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
11 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 35.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-06-08 | EF2 | 4 | 13 | 16.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-06-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-06-20 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1981-06-29 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-08-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-08-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-08-07 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-19 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Iosco County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | 4 | 13 | $250K | |
| Jul 4, 2003 | Lightning | OSCODA | 0 | 4 | $10K |
| Jul 5, 2007 | Lightning | TAWAS CITY | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | HALE | 0 | 1 | $18K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread areal flooding developed in central and southern Iosco County on the 18th. Many creeks and rivers rose out of their banks, including the Au Gres River system and Silver Creek and its tributaries. Many roads across the county were closed, including Meadow Road in Tawas City. Railroad tracks were also washed out in Tawas City. Townline Road in Tawas Township was washed out by Dead Creek. Flooding along the Lake Huron coastline was worsened by lakeshore flooding thanks to onshore winds.
The tornado caused sporadic but considerable tree damage along its path. When it crossed the town of Hale, several high-profile vehicles were blown over, numerous utility poles were blown over, and several homes and businesses sustained roof damage. Estimated peak winds were 100 mph.
Several people witnessed the tornado touch down between US-23 and Tawas Bay. The tornado was on the ground for less than a quarter-mile, crossing Douglas Drive just north of Lakeview Drive, before reaching the bay as a waterspout. Forty trees were downed, and six homes suffered damage, mostly roof damage due to those falling trees. Winds were estimated at 70 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,347
Population (ACS)
$142K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 9, 2020 | Dam/Levee Break | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | 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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Iosco County, Michigan?
164 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $7.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Iosco County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 74 recorded events — 45.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Iosco County?
11 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Iosco County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Iosco County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Iosco County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Iosco County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Iosco 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
- Ionia County 216
- Iron County 173
- Ingham County 311
- Isabella County 180
- Huron County 294
- Jackson County 306
Cite this page
“Iosco County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/iosco-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.