82
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Otsego County, Michigan: 82 recorded events between 1963 and 2024. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #2,436 nationally and #51 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Otsego County, Michigan: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Otsego County is the 1990s, when 23 of the county's 82 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 Otsego County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 54.3% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,436 for this hazard and #51 within Michigan, putting it in the 22.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Otsego County with 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 2018 | GAYLORD OTSEGO ARPT | 70 | 0 | 1 | $1.2M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2024 | JOHANNESBURG | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | ARBUTUS BEACH | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | OTSEGO LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | OTSEGO LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2024 | OTSEGO LAKE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | ARBUTUS BEACH | 50 | $3K |
| Jun 25, 2023 | ARBUTUS BEACH | 50 | $2K |
| Aug 11, 2021 | GAYLORD | 50 | $1K |
| Aug 11, 2021 | JOHANNESBURG | 50 | $3K |
| Aug 11, 2021 | WATERS | 50 | $4K |
Other hazards here
More from Otsego County
- Hail 57
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.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Otsego County, Michigan?
82 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Otsego County between 1963 and 2024, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Otsego County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Otsego County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Otsego 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 Otsego County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/otsego-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.