Roscommon County, Michigan severe weather history spans 172 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,597 nationally and #47 in Michigan.
172
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$52.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Roscommon County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Roscommon County, Michigan severe weather history averages 2.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 49 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 39 events fall before 1990 and 133 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Roscommon County, Michigan record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $51.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Roscommon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 102 | 2 | $51.0M | 70 | 1962–2022 |
| Hail | 56 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1964–2026 |
| Tornado | 9 | 0 | $763K | F2 | 1968–2021 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $55K | 0 | 1999–2005 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 2014–2014 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $240K | 0 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Roscommon County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-06-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-06-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-06-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-08-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-06-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-06-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-10-14 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Roscommon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $50.0M | |
| Jul 18, 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | (HTL)HOUGHTON LAKE A | 0 | 1 | $20K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted across the county by thunderstorm winds. Most damage occurred along two lines, one extending from the St. Helen area (in Roscommon County) southeast to near the intersection of M-30 and Greenwood Road, with the second extending from Clear Lake southeast across the county fairgrounds and Lake Ogemaw, nine miles east-southeast of West Branch, to near Skidway Lake. Damage to property was not nearly as extensive nor pronounced. There were a few reports of roof damage due to falling trees. Trees also fell on and damaged a few vehicles, including a sport utility vehicle and tractor seven miles northwest of West Branch. Numerous wheat fields along the primary storm tracks were partially flattened by the strong downburst winds.
Areal flooding developed in central and southeast Roscommon County on the 18th. Some creeks and rivers rose out of their banks. Many roads across the county were impacted by high water, and that included a few closures. There was some property damage due to flooding, especially in parts of Houghton Lake.
Several trees were downed, and many others were damaged, along the northeast shore of Houghton Lake, and extending inland a bit from Prudenville. One home east of Prudenville was struck by a falling tree. A man on the porch of the home suffered minor injuries from broken glass.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
23,737
Population (ACS)
$159K
Median home value
7
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 |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 27, 1978 | Snowstorm | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM |
| Mar 2, 1977 | Drought | DROUGHT | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Roscommon County, Michigan?
172 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $52.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Roscommon County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 102 recorded events — 59.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Roscommon County?
9 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 Roscommon County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Roscommon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Roscommon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Roscommon County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 57 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Roscommon 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
- Presque Isle County 95
- Saginaw County 469
- Ottawa County 340
- St. Clair County 414
- Otsego County 151
- St. Joseph County 363
Cite this page
“Roscommon County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/roscommon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.