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Kalkaska County, Michigan

44 topographic sheets cover 25 settlements here.

Research this county

Michigan within the United States
Kalkaska County within Michigan

What the record shows

  • 346 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 25 populated places in this county; 25 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

263 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 263 of them, burning about 1,846 acres. 9 started naturally and 4 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined79
Debris and open burning71
Equipment and vehicle use34
Recreation and ceremony26
Misuse of fire by a minor21
Smoking9
Natural9
Power generation/transmission/distribution7
Arson/incendiarism4
Fireworks2
Railroad operations and maintenance1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
18 May 2010Debris and open burning1,040 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesKALKASKA 07 RANGE 9
13 May 2018Missing data/not specified/undetermined72 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesKALKASKA 02 - MECUM RD
13 April 2003Debris and open burning46 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
13 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined38 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesKALKASKA 05 - RANGE 12
3 May 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined29 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
6 April 1992Missing data/not specified/undetermined22 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
10 August 2019Equipment and vehicle use22 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesKALKASKA 06 - COMMERCIAL FLIGHT FIRE
5 August 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined20 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesCRAWFORD 18, RANGE 18

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1963 to 2024

60 of 77 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 77 reports for this county, causing 1 death, 7 injuries and about $2,067,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind46
Hail19
Tornado8
Lightning2
Flash Flood2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
October 2007Tornado (EF2)Crofton1 killed, 1 hurt, $1,100,000The Kalkaska tornado was the first killer tornado in Northern Lower Michigan in over 30 years. It touched down just south of Crofton, and tracked north-northeast, lifting just after crossing the Kalkaska County Airport. A home was damaged in a subdivision just south of Crofton. The most substantial damage, as well as the fatality, occurred near the intersection of US-131 and Crofton Road. A large metal warehouse was damaged, a single wide mobile home was destroyed, and several stick-built homes received moderate to severe damage. The fatality and injury occurred inside the mobile home. A 29 year old man was pulled from the mobile home, but passed away at a nearby hospital. Numerous large trees were also uprooted. The damage became more sporadic to the northeast, until another pocket of concentrated damage at the Kalkaska County Airport. Several hangars and small planes were damaged, as were several homes in the area. Sheet metal from one of the hangars was deposited near the Kalkaska Middle School. Winds were estimated at 120 mph, making it an EF2.
July 1976Tornado (F2)not stated5 hurt, $25,000no account filed
June 2005LightningKalkaska1 hurtA woman was briefly hospitalized after a lightning strike at her home.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindRapid City$540,000A swath of widespread wind damage continued across northern Kalkaska County. Hundreds of trees were downed, damaging vehicles and structures as they fell. Between 40 and 50 structures were believed damaged to some extent in Kalkaska County.
September 2014Tornado (EF1)Darragh$160,000An EF-1 tornado impacted northeast Kalkaska County. Most of the damage was comprised of uprooted or broken hardwood and softwood trees. Several residences were damaged by falling trees. Peak winds were estimated at 100 mph.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$25,000Over a hundred trees were downed, scattered across central and eastern Kalkaska County.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindBarker Creek$25,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the wind, blocking many roads and creating power outages that lasted for nearly two days.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindRapid City$25,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the wind, blocking many roads and creating power outages that lasted for nearly two days.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-$25,000Numerous trees were downed and power outages occurred along U.S, 131, from four miles north of Kalkaska to South Boardman.
June 1976Tornado (F1)not stated$25,000no account filed
June 2006Flash FloodKalkaska$20,000Nearly stationary thunderstorms developed in the pre-dawn hours, directly underneath a slow-moving upper level low pressure system. Radar estimated that around 4 inches of rain fell in a portion of the Rapid River basin, just north of Kalkaska. Flooding was enhanced by the failure of a beaver dam on a small creek. Part of Wood Road was washed out by the high water, and Smith and Holly Roads were also impacted. Traffic on US-131 at the Rapid River bridge was reduced to one lane for a time, as waters raged close to underside of the bridge.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindSouth Broadman$10,000Multiple trees down near Albright swamp. Social media pictures show one tree down on top of a house.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$10,000Widespread tree and powerline damage over northern half of Kalkaska county between approximately 1055 and 1125 PM.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$8,000A number of trees and power lines were downed in Kalkaska and other parts of northern Kalkaska County.
November 2020Thunderstorm WindO Neil$5,000Trees were downed across Mecum Road just east of Sharon Road.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindRapid City$5,000Tress were downed onto power lines.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$5,000A barn roof was torn off and blown 200 yards to the northeast. A number of trees were downed.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindSigma$5,000Lightning struck a tree which fell and killed a 68-year-old man near East Lake at Spencer. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the wind creating power outages that lasted over two days.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindSharon$5,000Lightning struck a tree which fell and killed a 68-year-old man near East Lake at Spencer. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the wind creating power outages that lasted over two days.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindMancelona$5,000Many trees and a few power lines were downed in an area between Alba and Antrim.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindLodi$4,000Several trees were downed.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$4,000Trees downed at intersection of county road 571 and Twin Lake Road.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindDarragh$4,000Several trees were downed in the Bear Lake area, knocking out power to local residents.
July 2021Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$3,000Pictures of multiple down trees in the village of Kalkaska. Time estimated via radar.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindSouth Broadman$3,000Multipe trees down in south Bordman. Pictures sent via social media.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindDarragh$3,000Multiple large tree limbs were broken off, downing power lines.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindDarragh$3,000Two large trees were blown over.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindDarragh$3,000Trees downed.
July 1974Tornado (F1)not stated$2,500no account filed
August 2021Thunderstorm WindKalkaska$2,000Reports of trees down from MPING.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindSigma$2,000A pair of large trees were downed.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindRapid City$2,000Large limbs were ripped off of several trees.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindHouseman$1,500A large tree was downed along Coster Rd in Springfield Township.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindHouseman$1,500Large tree downed just east of Fife Lake, just over the county line in Kalkaska County.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindDarragh$1,000Tree downed on Blue Lake Road.
April 2024HailLodi-Quarter sized hail near M-66 and Prairie Lane.
April 2024HailSouth Boardman-Report of dime sized hail from mping.
April 2024HailHouseman-Image on social media with ruler showing at least 1.5 inch hail.
June 2006HailKalkaska-Another day of pop-up afternoon thunderstorms, thanks to cold air aloft residing over the Great Lakes region. One storm produced nickel sized hail in Kalkaska County.
September 2004HailKalkaska-An isolated severe thunderstorm produced marginally large hail in Kalkaska.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindRapid City-Trees were downed.
April 2002Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Several trees and power lines down.
April 2002Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Camper overturned.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Several 10 to 15 inch diameter trees downed.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Several trees down.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindSouth Boardman-A few trees down.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Trees and power lines down.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Trees down.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindDarragh-Trees down.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Trees and power lines down
September 1998Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Several trees snapped off and/or uprooted.
May 1998Tornado (F1)Kalkaska-A tornado intermittently on the ground for around 7 miles destroyed one mobile home and damaged 2 others. The combination of tornadic and straight-line winds also downed numerous trees.
June 1998Tornado (F0)Kalkaska-Brief tornado touchdown with no reported damage.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Strong straight-line thunderstorm winds tore the roof off a building.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Strong thunderstorm wind gusts to 90 mph tore the roof off one home and toppled trees onto several others.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindKalkaska-Strong thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindDarragh-Strong winds downed numerous trees along forrest road in the vicinity of Blue Lakes.
July 1994Tornado (F0)South Boardman-A fire department spotter observed a tornado as it touched down in an open field. No damage was reported. Several other funnel clouds were sighted across western and southern portions of the county between 1700 EST and 1900 EST.
July 2016HailRapid City-no account filed
July 2016HailDarragh-no account filed

Mines and quarries

2 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 2 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction2

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Schworm Kalaska County PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
State of Michigan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

25

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.