Michigan lightning risk
Wayne County has the highest lightning risk in Michigan, scoring 98.3 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA has recorded 25 lightning events across Michigan over the past decade.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne County | 98.3 | Very High | 0 |
| 2 | Oscoda County | 93.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Genesee County | 89.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Washtenaw County | 88.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Macomb County | 88.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Gogebic County | 83.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Oakland County | 83.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Alger County | 82.5 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 9 | Presque Isle County | 79.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 10 | St. Joseph County | 77.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 11 | Ottawa County | 76.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 12 | Manistee County | 75.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 13 | Hillsdale County | 75.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 14 | Marquette County | 73.4 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 15 | Kent County | 72.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Roscommon County | 72 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Ingham County | 71.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Lenawee County | 70.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Muskegon County | 69.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Clare County | 68.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Kalamazoo County | 67.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Grand Traverse County | 66.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 23 | Ogemaw County | 66.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Gladwin County | 65.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Iosco County | 65.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Delta County | 64.4 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 27 | Otsego County | 64.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Menominee County | 63.6 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 29 | Crawford County | 62.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Berrien County | 61.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Montmorency County | 60.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Alcona County | 57.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Bay County | 57 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Jackson County | 56.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Dickinson County | 56.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Allegan County | 55 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 37 | Isabella County | 54.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 38 | Livingston County | 54.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 39 | Monroe County | 54.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 40 | Branch County | 53.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Arenac County | 53.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Calhoun County | 53.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Midland County | 53.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Lapeer County | 52.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 45 | Van Buren County | 52.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Huron County | 51.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 47 | Mecosta County | 50.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Newaygo County | 49.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 49 | Tuscola County | 48.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Schoolcraft County | 48.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Osceola County | 48.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Wexford County | 48.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Cheboygan County | 48.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Charlevoix County | 46.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Saginaw County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Montcalm County | 46 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Antrim County | 44 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 58 | St. Clair County | 44 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 59 | Houghton County | 43.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Eaton County | 43.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Alpena County | 41.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Iron County | 40.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 63 | Lake County | 39.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Emmet County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Chippewa County | 36.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Cass County | 33.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 67 | Shiawassee County | 32 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 68 | Mason County | 31.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Baraga County | 31.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 70 | Mackinac County | 31.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Leelanau County | 31.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Oceana County | 31 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Sanilac County | 30.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 74 | Kalkaska County | 30.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Barry County | 29 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Benzie County | 27.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 77 | Missaukee County | 26.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Ontonagon County | 26.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Ionia County | 25 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 80 | Luce County | 24.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Gratiot County | 24.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | Clinton County | 20.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 83 | Keweenaw County | 3 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Michigan:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Michigan?
Wayne County, MI has the highest lightning risk in Michigan, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 98.3 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Michigan are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 83 scored Michigan counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Michigan?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.