| Flood or drought |
Date | Area affected (fig. 2) |
Recurrence interval |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar. 24-27, 1904 | Grand, Saginaw, Kalamazoo, River Raisin, St. Joseph, and Huron River basins. | 25 to >100 | Rain on snow pack and frozen soils. In Grand Rapids, 2,500 homes surrounded by floodwater; damage, $2 million. In Lansing, 1 death. |
| Flood | Mar. 1912 | Lower Peninsula. | 10 to 25 | Runoff from snow melt. Tittabawassee River at Midland as much as 5.5 feet above flood stage for 11 days; considerable damage at Saginaw. |
| Flood | Mar. 1916 | Lower Peninsula. | 10 to 25 | Thousands of acres of farmland inundated by 2-8 feet of water in Saginaw River basin. Damage in Saginaw, $200,000. |
| Drought | 1930-37 | Statewide. | 50 to 70 | Most severe in State's history. In 1930, precipitation 9 inches less than normal. |
| Drought | 1939-42 | Lower Peninsula. | 15 to > 50 | Alternating periods of normal and less than normal precipitation. Crop damage in 1941. |
| Flood | Aug. 22-24, 1942 | Ontonagon River. | > 100 | Rainfall intensity of 2-3 inches per hour for 5 hours. Lives lost, 3; damage to bridges, culverts, and roadfill, $100,000. |
| Flood | Apr. 4-11, 1947 | Kalamazoo, Grand, Saginaw, Clinton, Detroit, and St. Clair River basins; River Rouge basin. | 25 to 100 | Most damaging since 1904. Result of thunderstorms and snowmelt. Damage in Flint, $4 million. |
| Drought | 1947-50 | Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. | 5 to 45 | Greater than normal temperatures. Forest fires destroyed thousands of acres of timber. |
| Flood | Mar. 19-23, 1948 | Grand, Saginaw, and Kalamazoo River basins. | 10 to 50 | In Saginaw and Tittabawassee River basins, worst since 1916. At Grand Rapids, stage highest since 1904. Forty-six persons injured in train wreck. Damage, $1 million. |
| Drought | 1952-56 | Southern Lower Peninsula. ... | 5 to 25 | Temperatures greater than normal for 4 years. In 1953, precipitation 9 inches less than normal. |
| Drought | 1955-59 | Statewide, except southeastern Lower Peninsula. | 15 to 45 | Most severe in Upper Peninsula. |
| Flood | May 19-20, 1959 | Au Gres and Rifle Rivers. | > 100 | As much as 4.5 inches of rainfall in small area. Unit runoff near storm center exceeded 1,500 cubic feet per second per square mile. Damage to bridges, culverts, and roadfill, $108,000. |
| Flood | Apr.-May 1960 | Upper Peninsula. | 25 to >100 | Record peak discharges at 23 gaging stations. Damage to homes, businesses, and transportation systems, $575,000. |
| Drought | 1960-67 | Statewide. | 40 to 65 | Second longest of record. Precipitation least since 1931. Conditions eased in 1965 in northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. |
| Flood | June 25-27, 1968 | Clinton, Detroit, Huron, and River Raisin basins. | 10 to 100 | Worst since 1947. Several dams breached. Overland flooding, sewer backup, and basement flooding to about 4,000 structures. Lives lost, 4; damage, $11.5 million. |
| Flood | Apr. 18-24, 1975 | Kalamazoo, Grand, Flint, and Shiawassee River basins. | 10 to 100 | Rain on snow. Most severe in Lansing. Stage highest since 1904; about equal to flood of 1947. About 4,700 homes damaged. Damage, $50 million. |
| Drought | 1976-80 | Statewide. | 10 to 20 | Particularly severe in Upper Peninsula. Eased in 1978 in Upper Peninsula and in 1979 in northern Lower Peninsula. |
| Flood | Mar. 14-24, 1982 | River Raisin and St. Joseph River basins. | 10 to >100 | Severe in multi state area. In St. Joseph basin, discharges largest since 1950. Two counties declared disaster areas. Lives lost, 1. |
| Flood | Apr. 20-24, 1985 | Escanaba, Michigamme, Chocolay, and Manistique River basins. | 25 to >100 | Exceeded that of 1960 in some areas. Roads closed, dams damaged, and 1,900 homes affected. Damage, $3.5 million. |
| Flood | Sept. 6-9, 1985 | Flint River. | 25 to >100 | Frontal system stalled near Flint; successive storms tracked along same path. Basement flooding of 2,500 homes. Six counties declared disaster areas. Damage, $63 million. |
| Flood | Sept. 10-15, 1986 | Central Lower Peninsula. | 25 to >100 | Fourteen record discharges at gaging stations. Fourteen dams failed, 30,000 homes damaged, crops severely damaged. Lives lost, 6; damage, $500 million in 30 counties. |
| Drought | 1986-89 | Statewide. | Unknown | New streamflow minimums at many sites. Continuing in Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula in 1989. |
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