How Likely Is a Tornado in Gogebic County, MI?
Gogebic County's tornado history, by the numbers
Gogebic County has recorded 4 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 18.9 years - our Minimal band. Put another way: Gogebic County sees more tornado activity than 13% of US counties. Within Michigan alone, Gogebic County ranks 75 of 83 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
4 weak and 0 significant tornadoes make up Gogebic County's 4-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Gogebic County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Michigan has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Michigan this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
14,217 people live in Gogebic County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Michigan than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Gogebic County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 1,102 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Gogebic County has about 14,217 residents.