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Washtenaw County, Michigan severe weather history spans 828 recorded events between 1951 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #267 nationally and #3 in Michigan.
828
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$42.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Washtenaw County, Michigan severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washtenaw County, Michigan severe weather history averages 11.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 271 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 125 events fall before 1990 and 703 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washtenaw County, Michigan record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $24.4M 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 Washtenaw County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 493 | 3 | $6.9M | 80 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 261 | 0 | $1.0M | 3 | 1957–2026 |
| Tornado | 29 | 1 | $24.4M | F3 | 1951–2026 |
| Lightning | 21 | 2 | $1.8M | 0 | 1997–2014 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 0 | $8.4M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $350K | 0 | 2000–2023 |
Decade by decade
Washtenaw County, Michigan severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
32 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-06-15 | EF3 | 1 | 1 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-05-11 | EF3 | 1 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-06-08 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 11.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-15 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-07-04 | EF3 | 0 | 54 | 13.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 16.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-08-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washtenaw County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | 1 | 5 | $25K | |
| Sep 19, 2002 | Lightning | ANN ARBOR | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2014 | Lightning | GEDDES | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 18, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | SALEM | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| Jun 1, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jun 1, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jul 4, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 2000 | Lightning | ANN ARBOR | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous roads became impassable due to flash flooding. Parts of Ann Arbor received around 5.5 inches of rainfall, with Ypsilanti reporting the highest total of 6.76 inches. Around 3 inches of rainfall was reported near Saline and Dexter. Forty-four homes suffered major flood damage, while 127 homes experienced flood damage across the county.
The tornado started in the area of Jackson Ave near Interstate 94. It|moved southeast across the interstate and then over Veterans Memorial|Park where it produced EF-1 damage. This damage included numerous|uprooted and snapped trees, along with snapped stadium light poles.|The greatest concentration of EF-1 damage occurred from Jackson Ave though|Veterans Memorial Park and into the nearby neighborhoods. Peak winds estimated at 110 mph. The tornado continued through residential areas where there were numerous trees snapped and large downed tree limbs. The damage became more sporadic as is continued to the southeast through Virginia Park. A building north of Bach Elementary lost a portion of its roof, before the tornado lifted near W William St and 4th St. Once the tornado had lifted, there was additional damage that occurred from straight line winds at the Yost Ice Arena where the metal roof panels had been pulled from the building.
This tornado touched down in Salem Township in extreme northeastern Washtenaw County. The initial tornado damage was noted just north of Seven Mile road and just west of Tower road in the area of Salem Farms Drive and Sunset Drive. This damage was primarily to trees, along with some shingle damage to roofs of houses. The damage path continued northeast to the Northville Crossings subdivision where there was damage to roofs and sidings of several homes. Further northeast there was tree damage along Currie Road just south of Eight Mile Road. The damage path weakened and ended along 8 mile and Chubb road in Washtenaw County. Throughout the path of the tornado, damage estimates were consistent with EF0 scale damage, with maximum winds near 70 mph along Sunset Drive and in Northville Crossings. Other damage to trees was more consistent with winds 55 to 60 mph. The average path width was 50 yards.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
369,822
Population (ACS)
$374K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 27, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 30, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Ann Arbor 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
828 events are on record between 1951 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $42.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washtenaw County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 493 recorded events — 59.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washtenaw County?
32 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washtenaw County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washtenaw County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washtenaw County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washtenaw County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 89 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washtenaw 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
- Van Buren County 281
- Wayne County 920
- Tuscola County 338
- Wexford County 126
- Shiawassee County 305
- Schoolcraft County 94
Cite this page
“Washtenaw County, Michigan.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/michigan/washtenaw-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.