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Wind in Benzie County, Michigan
45 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 45 wind events in Benzie County, Michigan, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 22 years.
July is the busiest month, with 15 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 16 events against 25 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 14,692 wind events recorded in Michigan; its 14.1 per 100 square miles compares with 26.0 statewide.
24 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 1 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.
Compared with Michigan
| Measure | Benzie County | Michigan | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 45 | 14,692 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 14.1 | 26.0 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 24.7 | 14.6 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 72 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | July | July | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
2Apr
1May
0Jun
5Jul
15Aug
8Sep
5Oct
2Nov
4Dec
2
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 45 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 2025 | High Wind | 61 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 Jul 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Dec 2021 | High Wind | 60 mph | $20K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 10 Aug 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $9K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $9K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jun 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Dec 2015 | High Wind | 58 mph | $12K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 7 Aug 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Oct 2010 | High Wind | 63 mph | $4K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 23 Jun 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $16K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 69 mph | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Nov 2005 | High Wind | 60 mph | $5K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Nov 2005 | High Wind | 58 mph | $8K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 13 Sep 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | $6K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $12K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Aug 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | $12K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Nov 2003 | High Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 28 Aug 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Aug 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Apr 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Oct 2001 | High Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 9 Aug 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 1998 | High Wind | 90 mph | — | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 27 Sep 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 6 | County |
| 7 Sep 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Sep 1985 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jul 1983 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Jul 1975 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Benzie County had?
45 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Benzie County?
23 Jul 2025 (Thunderstorm Wind, 58 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Benzie County?
The thunderstorm wind of 17 Jul 2006, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $60K.
How does Benzie County compare with Michigan for wind?
14.1 events per 100 square miles against 26.0 statewide; the county holds 45 of the state's 14,692 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Wind hub and the county page.