Which Natural Disasters Are Most Likely in Michigan?

MIchigan has had its fair share of disasters over time. Recently, several tornadoes have torn their way through the Great Lakes State, and we've felt a few increased rumbles from earthquakes, too. Going back even FURTHER in time, Michigan was home to one of the LARGEST LAVA FLOWS to have ever happened on Earth.

So now, in 2024, what is the most likely natural disaster to happen in Michigan, and when could we most likely see it happen?

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Severe Thunderstorms/Tornadoes

It's no surprise that this is the most common natural disaster that occurs in Michigan. Severe storms can pop up just about any time of year, though typically it's in the spring and summer months. Michigan experiences a dozen-or-so tornadoes each year, but most of them tend to be smaller, and in rural areas.

But the City of Portage learned earlier this year that they can still strike in urban areas. Tornado outbreaks in severe storms have been officially recorded in Michigan as far back as 1880, when an outbreak of storms dropped 21 tornadoes across a dozen states, and Michigan was one of them.

Hurricanes

This is an interesting disaster to talk about with Michigan, since we are NOT a tropical place, and Hurricanes all typically come from the oceans. BUT, Hurricanes have been known to cross a LOT of land and make their way to Michigan... but by then, they're typically reduced to very low tropical depressions, or just a strong low pressure system.

Case and point, earlier this year, Hurricane Berryl came out of the Gulf across Texas, and into the Midwest, bringing an incredible amount of rain and thunderstorms. Parts of the Midwest saw up to a foot of rain fall in a matter of two days from the remnants of Berryl as it passed by.

Wildfires

Michigan stays pretty humid, so it's fairly rare for a large fire event to take place. But, droughts do happen, and we've had them before. The Great Michigan Fires were so big, they actually spanned across Lake Michigan, encompassing parts of Wisconsin, and the city of Chicago as well.

In total, it burned more than 1.5 million acres, with 1.2 million of that in and around Port Huron, and another several hundred thousand acres in Menominee County.

Volcanoes

Now, hear me out, it's been a LONG time since Michigan experienced any major volcanic activity, but it has happened... granted, it's been billions of years since it happened, BUT... it DID happen!

The Mid-Continent Drift is actually a result of Michigan's massive pre-historic volcano, and was once part of the largest lava flow in the world, rolling all the way down to what we know to be Kansas today. Now, the volcano responsible has since subsided mostly, but it's "origin point" still resides at the bottom of Lake Superior, and it still spits out the occasional volcanic rock or two.

SIDE NOTE: This might not be one that happens IN Michigan, but if the Yellowstone Super Volcano were to finally blow, Michigan would certainly feel the effects with ash clouds covering the sun.

Earthquakes

As we've seen, Michigan isn't immune to earthquakes either. We don't have any fault lines, per say, but the ground is always shifting underneath us, and even when you're NOT on a fault line, things can still shake, rattle, and roll a bit.

Most recently, Michigan experienced its strongest ever earthquake just off shore in Lake Michigan - a 2.9. Hardly anything to someone who might come from California, or even Japan. But they do happen, and it seems like they're growing in size when they DO happen.

Blizzards

Well, clearly this is something that Michigan experiences from time to time in the winter. In fact, some have been so memorable, they have names, such as the "White Hurricane of 1913," or "The Great Blizzard of 78"  that dropped up to 30 inches of snow in some places in the lower peninsula with winds between 50 and 70 mph.

While Blizzards don't typically get the immediate disaster "stamp," it's the after-affects of them that usually takes a toll, such as goods not being shipped, basic needs and businesses not being accessible, and then as snow melts, it freezes overnight, turning to ice, and can cause an untold number of accidents, and even powerlines and tree branches to snap.

That snow may LOOK light and fluffy, but it adds up quick.