Muskegon County, Michigan severe weather history spans 240 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,177 nationally and #38 in Michigan.
240
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$43.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Muskegon County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Muskegon County, Michigan severe weather history averages 3.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 90 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 53 events fall before 1990 and 187 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $30.3M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Muskegon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 150 | 0 | $30.3M | 74 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 66 | 0 | $965K | 4 | 1956–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $785K | 0 | 1997–2001 |
| Tornado | 8 | 0 | $78K | F2 | 1956–2013 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $11.0M | 0 | 2013–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2018–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2008 |
| Waterspout | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Seiche | 1 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Muskegon County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 8 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-09-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-04-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 36.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-04-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-11-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-04-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-05-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-05-13 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Muskegon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 22, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | NORTON SHRS | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| May 31, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | MONTAGUE | 0 | 2 | $24.2M |
| Jun 28, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | MICHILLINDA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A peak wind gust of 61 mph was recorded at the Muskegon airport. Wind gusts of at least 75 mph were estimated based on damage across far southern Muskegon county in the Fruitport area, where hundreds of trees and numerous power lines were blown down. The entire village was left without power.
Numerous trees were blown down in and near Muskegon. Numerous windows were blown out of area homes and businesses. 30,000 people in and near Muskegon lost power. Wind gusts with severe storms were estimated at up to 85 mph. A 60 mph wind gust was measured at the Muskegon airport.
Widespread wind damage occurred in the Muskegon metropolitan area including the cities of Muskegon, North Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, and Norton Shores and Laketon, Muskegon, and Fruitport Townships. Many large trees, utility poles, and power lines were downed by sustained 60 to 80 mph winds (estimated) over a 10 to 15 minute period. Overall, an estimated 900 power lines were downed in the Muskegon area which left approximately 54,000 homes and businesses without power, affecting approximately a third of all Muskegon County residents. Most structural damage to homes and businesses was caused by fallen trees and utility poles. An estimated 500 homes and 30 businesses sustained minor to moderate damage. Most area schools and many area businesses were closed on Friday, May 29th. An estimated 27,000 people were still without power as of late in the day, Saturday, May 30th. Despite the widespread damage, no injuries were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
175,961
Population (ACS)
$198K
Median home value
14
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 Muskegon County, Michigan?
240 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $43.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Muskegon County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 150 recorded events — 62.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Muskegon County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 8 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Muskegon County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Muskegon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Muskegon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Muskegon County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 70 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Muskegon 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
- Montmorency County 109
- Newaygo County 179
- Montcalm County 212
- Oakland County 1,064
- Monroe County 489
- Oceana County 116
Cite this page
“Muskegon County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/muskegon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.