County Hazards

Storm events on record through

Washtenaw County, Michigan Storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record

This page is a county record of past events and claims. It does not show the flood zone or the risk of an address. For the flood map of an address, use FEMA's address search (opens in a new tab).

NCEI has 988 storm events on record for Washtenaw County, Michigan, from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.

The newest event on record is an excessive heat event on 30 Jun 2026.

FEMA has 12 disaster declarations on record for the county from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is DR-4925 of 30 Jun 2026.

OpenFEMA has 133 NFIP claims on record for the county from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026. The NFIP paid $1.6 million on these claims.

The NWS collects event reports from a variety of sources, which include (but are not limited to): county, state, and federal emergency management officials, local law enforcement officials, SKYWARN spotters, NWS damage surveys, newspaper clipping services, the insurance industry, and the general public, among others.

The National Weather Service reports property and crop damage estimates using available data at the time of event reporting. These values should therefore be considered broad estimates. Damage amounts are not adjusted for inflation.

Zone (NWS Forecast Zone): A zone is a geographic area defined by the NWS for issuing forecasts, watches, and warnings. While zones often align with counties, they can also represent smaller or subdivided areas within a county to account for differences in weather conditions, such as elevation or proximity to water. Larger-scale events—such as heat, cold, drought, and winter storms—are typically recorded by zone.

The words of the agency. Source: NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database, page "Frequently Asked Questions", copied on .

This is raw, unedited data from FEMA's National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) and as such is subject to a small percentage of human error.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

It is derived from the National Flood Insurance Program system of record, staged in the program's reporting platform and redacted to protect policy holder personally identifiable information.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

Dates of the data: NCEI storm events through . OpenFEMA disaster declarations through . NFIP claims through .

Since the last update: no change is on record for Washtenaw County. The site compares the agency data at each update. Updates of the data

The five hazards

Storm events on record for Washtenaw County by hazard and period (NCEI, through 30 Jun 2026)
Hazard1950 to 20262000 to 20092010 to 20192020 to 2026Newest event
Hail2611017927
Tornado29241
Flood381876
Wind53816615065
Winter6635167
Other event types56Heat, cold, drought, wildfire, lightning, fog, tropical and other types
All storm events988348271108

A hazard name opens the page of that hazard for the county. A hazard has a page from 10 events. The year 2026 has the events through 30 Jun 2026 only.

Forecast zones with the name of the county give 159 of the 988 events. A county count has the events that NCEI gives to the county. It also has the events of a forecast zone that has the name of the county. A zone with another name counts for the state only.

Rates of Washtenaw County beside the total of the counties of Michigan and of the United States
MeasureWashtenawAll counties of MichiganAll counties of the United States
Storm events for each 100 square miles, 1950 to 2026139.961.749.3
Storm events for each 10,000 residents, 1950 to 202626.734.852.5
NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force, 2016 to 202569.7201.9185.3

The columns for the state and the United States total the counties. They count the events of each county in the same way as the county column. The site gives a rate for each 10,000 residents only from 10,000 residents. Residents and area: Census Bureau, 2021.

Newest storm events on record

Excessive Heat

On record for the forecast zone

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

3 miles SSE of SCIO

Thunderstorm Wind70 mph (61 knots, measured gust)

1 mile SW of ANN ARBOR

TornadoEF1

3 miles W of ANN ARBOR. Damage estimate: $500 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of ANN ARBOR YOUNG ARPT

Thunderstorm Wind70 mph (61 knots, estimated gust)

At ANN ARBOR

High Wind71 mph (62 knots, measured gust)

On record for the forecast zone. Damage estimate: $300 thousand

Hail0.88 in, nickel size

1 mile W of ANN ARBOR

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill

On record for the forecast zone

High Wind59 mph (51 knots, measured gust)

On record for the forecast zone. Damage estimate: $1.0 million

Hail1.00 in, quarter size

2 miles E of PITTSFIELD

Flash Flood

2 miles NW of WILLOW RUN

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles NE of LYNDON CENTER

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

3 miles SE of ANN ARBOR YOUNG ARPT

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NE of ANN ARBOR

Thunderstorm Wind55 mph (48 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile SE of SCIO. Damage estimate: $500

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles SSE of ANN ARBOR. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind58 mph (50 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles NW of YPSILANTI MCENNAN FL

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles NW of SHARON HOLLOW

Thunderstorm Wind55 mph (48 knots, estimated gust)

At EASTLAWN. Damage estimate: $1 thousand

Thunderstorm Wind60 mph (52 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NW of SALINE

Thunderstorm Wind64 mph (56 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles W of ANN ARBOR

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile NE of WORDEN

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

2 miles NE of ANN ARBOR

Thunderstorm Wind63 mph (55 knots, estimated gust)

1 mile SW of GEDDES

The 25 events above are the newest in the NCEI record. A place is the text of the NCEI record: a distance and a direction from a reference place. Wind speed is in miles per hour, with the knots that NCEI gives. The site does not show a place text that names a private property or reads as a person. Download these events (CSV)

Storm events on record for Washtenaw County by year, 1950 to 2026
DecadeYear that ends in 0Year that ends in 1Year that ends in 2Year that ends in 3Year that ends in 4Year that ends in 5Year that ends in 6Year that ends in 7Year that ends in 8Year that ends in 9All
1950s01011003039
1960s103310122518
1970s421325044025
1980s1403141711911373
1990s41912011711183618136
2000s38372351482139413812348
2010s35323828482915111619271
2020s211643791110 (part of the year)108

A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.

NCEI recorded tornado events from 1950, and hail and thunderstorm wind events from 1955. It recorded all event types from 1996. A count before 1996 has fewer event types.

FEMA disaster declarations

FEMA has 12 disaster declarations on record for Washtenaw County from 1964 through 1 Oct 2026. The newest is DR-4925: SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING.

Disaster declarations that name Washtenaw County (OpenFEMA, through 1 Oct 2026)
DeclaredNumberTypeIncident typeTitle in the FEMA recordAssistance
DR-4925Major disasterFloodSEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODINGIndividual
DR-4607Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOESIndividual
DR-4494Major disasterBiologicalCOVID-19 PANDEMICIndividual, Public
EM-3455EmergencyBiologicalCOVID-19Public
EM-3225EmergencyHurricaneHURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATIONPublic
DR-1527Major disasterSevere StormSEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODINGIndividual
EM-3189EmergencyOtherPOWER OUTAGEPublic
EM-3160EmergencySnowstormSNOWPublic
EM-3137EmergencySnowstormMI - SEVERE WEATHER 1/2 /99Public
DR-631Major disasterFloodSEVERE STORMS & FLOODINGPublic
EM-3057EmergencySnowstormBLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMSPublic
DR-190Major disasterTornadoTORNADOES & SEVERE STORMSIndividual, Public

DR is a major disaster declaration. EM is an emergency declaration. FM is a fire management assistance declaration. A declaration for the whole state is on the Michigan page. What a disaster declaration is

The dataset includes declared recovery programs and geographic areas (county not available before 1964; Fire Management records are considered partial due to historical nature of the dataset).

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-10-01.

Flood insurance claims (NFIP)

OpenFEMA has 133 NFIP claims on record for Washtenaw County from 1978 through 8 Sep 2026.

The NFIP paid $1,641,765 on 82 claims.

The county has 69.7 NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force. The rate uses 29 claims with a year of loss from 2016 to 2025. FEMA counts 416 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The claims have every type of building. FEMA counts residential policies only.

NFIP claims in Washtenaw County by year of loss, 1978 to 2026
DecadeYear that ends in 0Year that ends in 1Year that ends in 2Year that ends in 3Year that ends in 4Year that ends in 5Year that ends in 6Year that ends in 7Year that ends in 8Year that ends in 9All
1970s000
1980s206100000110
1990s00000002619
2000s8130091100638
2010s14193316311455
2020s1625601 (part of the year)21

A darker cell has a larger count. The number is in each cell.

NFIP claims by year of loss with the amount paid: 29 years
NFIP claims in Washtenaw County by year of loss, with the amount paid (OpenFEMA, through 8 Sep 2026)
Year of lossClaimsClaims with a paymentAmount paid
20261not shownnot shown
20246not shownnot shown
20235not shownnot shown
20222not shownnot shown
202166$424,923
20201not shownnot shown
20194not shownnot shown
20181not shownnot shown
20171not shownnot shown
20163not shownnot shown
20156not shownnot shown
20141not shownnot shown
20133not shownnot shown
20123not shownnot shown
20111914$228,372
2010148$79,797
20096not shownnot shown
20061not shownnot shown
20051not shownnot shown
200498$149,573
2001137$121,274
20008not shownnot shown
19991not shownnot shown
19986not shownnot shown
19972not shownnot shown
19891not shownnot shown
19831not shownnot shown
198265$68,353
19802not shownnot shown

A year with fewer than 5 claims shows the count of claims and no amount. A year with 1 to 4 claims with a payment shows no amount either. Such an amount could point to one property. The amount is the sum of the building, contents and increased cost of compliance payments. FEMA counts 10 multiple-loss properties in the county (2 Aug 2026). How FEMA redacts NFIP claims

This dataset is not intended to be an official federal report, and should not be considered an official federal report.

Note, the County Code field may not reflect the individual county the property is located as projects can be associated with more than one county

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset "NFIP Redacted Claims - v3", copied on . The page gives: last data refresh 2026-09-09.

FEMA cannot verify the quality and/or timeliness of any data or any analysis derived therefrom after the data has been retrieved from FEMA.gov.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions, copied on . The page gives: last updated 2025-01-22.

National Risk Index

Risk Index rating
Relatively Moderate
Risk Index score
89.3 of 100
Expected Annual Loss rating
Relatively Moderate
Expected Annual Loss
$93 million
Social Vulnerability rating
Relatively Low
Community Resilience rating
Very High
National Risk Index of Washtenaw County by hazard type (FEMA, December 2025 release)
Hazard typeRisk Index ratingExpected Annual Loss
Cold waveRelatively High$10,696,760
EarthquakeRelatively Low$1,271,132
HailRelatively Moderate$1,480,159
Heat waveRelatively Moderate$2,898,771
HurricaneVery Low$73,315
Ice stormRelatively High$1,165,001
Inland floodingRelatively Moderate$46,633,134
LandslideRelatively Low$7,028
LightningRelatively High$1,291,974
Strong windRelatively High$6,126,926
TornadoRelatively High$20,847,641
WildfireVery Low$38,200
Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$178,527

The National Risk Index dataset leverages available source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline relative risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.

The rating is a qualitative categorization that describes the community in comparison to all other communities at the same level, ranging from “Very Low” to “Very High.”

The National Risk Index data are meant for planning purposes only.

The words of the agency. Source: FEMA, National Risk Index Data: Frequently Asked Questions (December 2025, v1.20), copied on .

The labels and the ratings are those of FEMA. Expected Annual Loss is a figure for a whole county. It is not a figure for a property. How to read the National Risk Index

Tropical storm and hurricane tracks

The HURDAT2 record of the National Hurricane Center has 5 tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of the county, through the 2025 season. 0 of them were within 50 miles at hurricane strength.

Storm names, years and distances: 5 tracks
Tropical storm and hurricane tracks within 100 miles of the centre point of Washtenaw County (NHC HURDAT2)
Storm nameYearNearest point of the trackHighest wind within 100 miles
Unnamed Atlantic storm193259 miles46 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm192387 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm191578 miles40 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm190081 miles63 mph
Unnamed Atlantic storm189245 miles58 mph

A name is the storm name that the National Hurricane Center gave. The distance is from the centre line of the track. It does not show how far the wind, the rain or the surge of a storm went.

ZIP Codes, cities and towns of Washtenaw County

Each ZIP Code below has a page with its NFIP claims by year. 4 more ZIP Codes have fewer than 5 claims and no page.

A city or town has no page of its own. This page is the record for the whole county, which has these places:

  • Ann Arbor
  • Barton Hills
  • Chelsea
  • Dexter
  • Manchester
  • Milan
  • Saline
  • Whitmore Lake
  • Ypsilanti

Official channels

These links open the pages of the agencies. The site checked the links on .

Cite this page

County Hazards. "Washtenaw County, Michigan: storm events, disaster declarations and flood insurance claims on record". https://countyhazards.com/county/mi/washtenaw/. Data: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database through 30 Jun 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA disaster declarations through 1 Oct 2026; FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP claims through 8 Sep 2026. Page made on .

Where the data comes from

  • Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026.
  • Disaster declarations: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, read on 1 Oct 2026.
  • NFIP claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Claims, as of 8 Sep 2026. Multiple-loss properties: 2 Aug 2026. Policies in force: 3 Aug 2026.
  • National Risk Index: FEMA, December 2025 release. Storm tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through the 2025 season.
  • Residents, area, places and adjacent counties: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage.

How the counts are made · Corrections · Hazards in all states: hail, tornado, flood, wind, winter

Questions

How many tornado events are on record for Washtenaw County?
NCEI has 29 tornado events on record for Washtenaw County from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026. 10 events have a rating of EF2 or F2, or a higher rating.
How large is the hail on record for Washtenaw County?
NCEI has 261 hail events on record from 1955 through 30 Jun 2026. 30 events have a hail size of 1.75 inches or more. NCEI names 1.75 inches a golf ball.
Which month has the most storm events on record for Washtenaw County?
July has 244 of the 988 storm events on record from 1950 through 30 Jun 2026.
How many NFIP claims are there for each 1,000 policies in force in Washtenaw County?
The county has 69.7 NFIP claims for each 1,000 policies in force. The rate uses 29 claims with a year of loss from 2016 to 2025. FEMA counts 416 residential policies in force on 3 Aug 2026. The claims have every type of building. FEMA counts residential policies only.