BlockOgemaw County, Michigan
38 topographic sheets cover 17 settlements here.
Research this county
What the record shows
- 172 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
- The Geographic Names Information System records 17 populated places in this county; 17 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.
Wildfire, 1992 to 2020
302 firesEvery wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 302 of them, burning about 4,816 acres. 9 started naturally and 45 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 80 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 63 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 45 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 37 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 32 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 10 |
| Natural | 9 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 9 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 7 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Other causes | 3 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. Two of them were set deliberately.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 July 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1,238 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | OGEMAW16 |
| 13 May 1995 | Arson/incendiarism | 778 acres | Seney National Wildlife Refuge | OGEMAW#10 |
| 2 May 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | 331 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | OGEMAW 05 - ST. HELEN TRAIL FIRE |
| 13 May 2012 | Arson/incendiarism | 311 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | OGEMAW 16 - GAME REFUGE FIRE |
| 5 August 2001 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 199 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 28 April 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 138 acres | Huron-Manistee National Forest | MUSHROOM |
| 19 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 136 acres | Kirtlands Warbler National Wildlife Refuge | TURNEY RANCH ROAD |
| 13 May 2012 | Recreation and ceremony | 125 acres | Kirtlands Warbler National Wildlife Refuge | OGEMAW 15 - BEAVER LAKE FIRE |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
Storms, 1956 to 2025
60 of 167 shownThe NOAA Storm Events Database holds 167 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 29 injuries and about $40,784,030 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 94 |
| Hail | 51 |
| Tornado | 16 |
| Lightning | 2 |
| Flash Flood | 2 |
| Dust Devil | 1 |
| Flood | 1 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1976 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 1 killed, 7 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prescott | 1 killed, 1 hurt, $15,000 | A tree was downed onto an occupied vehicle on Sage Lake Road near Craun Road. The driver was killed, while a passenger suffered minor injuries. |
| March 1976 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 10 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Lightning | Lupton | 6 hurt | A lightning strike injured six people at the Rifle River State Recreation Area. All were transported to a hospital in West Branch, where they were treated and released. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | 2 hurt | Two canoeists on the Rifle River were injured from falling tree limbs that were tornoff from strong thunderstorm winds. |
| July 1995 | Tornado (F1) | West Branch to | 1 hurt, $500,000 | A small tornado, occurring almost simultaneously with damaging thunderstorm straight-line winds, touched down at the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds (nine miles east of West Branch), where several thousand motorcycle enthusiasts were camped for a rally. One man was injured by a falling tree. The tornado, occasionally lifting to the tree top level, continued southeast and dissipated shortly after crossing the southeast shore of Lake Ogemaw. Several hundred trees, many of which up to 30 inches in diameter, were brought down, with secondary damage done to homes, cottages, and vehicles where trees fell on them. Several docks were destroyed and boats damaged around Lake Ogemaw. |
| June 1982 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 1 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | 1 hurt | Tree down at Ogemaw County Fairgrounds |
| August 2015 | Hail | West Branch | $32,600,000 | These were the largest known hailstones in northern lower Michigan history. Hail reached just slightly larger than softballs, a few miles north of West Branch. Immense property destruction resulted, with many, many vehicles considered to be total losses, and roofs and siding dented and damaged. Around 350 structures were damaged in some way, shape, or form. |
| March 1991 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| March 1991 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Flood | Prescott | $450,000 | Widespread areal flooding developed in central and southern Ogemaw County on the 18th. Many creeks and rivers rose out of their banks, including the Rifle River system. Many roads across the county were closed. The Prescott area was especially hard hit, with some property damage due to flooding. |
| March 1991 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1984 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $190,000 | Widespread trees and power lines downed in the West Branch area. Some damage to structures due to falling trees. Considerable roof damage, including a few roofs completely blown off structures. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Rose City | $150,000 | Slow-moving thunderstorms dumped 2.5 to 4.0 inches of rain on the Rose City area on the night of the 11th-12th. The resulting flooding caused damage to 20 basements, and washed out a bridge in the area. Some roads were barricaded or otherwise blocked for several hours to warn off motorists. |
| June 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Campbells Corners | $75,000 | The tornado touched down near intersection of M-33 and Sage Lake Road, and lifted about a mile to the northeast. Several farms and residences suffered roof damage, some outbuildings were also damaged, and a number of trees and large limbs were downed. |
| August 2018 | Tornado (EF1) | Campbells Corners | $65,000 | A brief tornado with maximum winds of 100 mph touched down 4 miles northeast of West Branch, crossing Mud Lake Road. Damage was mostly confined to two homes on the east side of Mud Lake Road. |
| August 2017 | Tornado (EF0) | Lupton | $45,000 | An EF0 tornado developed over George Lake, and crossed Maple Avenue at the north end of the lake before dissipating. Maximum winds were estimated at 80 mph. Damage was done to docks, outbuildings, and the siding of a few homes. |
| September 2015 | Tornado (EF1) | Rose City | $40,000 | A tornado tracked nearly nine miles across northern Ogemaw County. Damage was sporadic along the path, peaking at EF-1. A number of trees were downed, in some cases snapped off. Several homes and other structures were damaged by downed trees. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beaver Lake | $35,000 | Three barns were destroyed by high winds. Many trees were downed. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $35,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were downed. Several vehicles and homes were struck and damaged by fallen trees. Some minor street flooding also occurred. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beaver Lake | $30,000 | A home lost most of its roof to a thunderstorm wind gust. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $26,000 | Multiple trees were downed onto houses. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $20,000 | Numerous trees and large limbs were downed. The most substantial damage was on the southeast edge of downtown West Branch, including Irons Park and St Joseph Cemetery. Some homes sustained roof damage from falling trees. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Selkirk | $20,000 | 80 foot ash tree fell on house and badly damaged roof. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $15,000 | A large tree was downed onto a pickup truck. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $15,000 | Numerous large trees downed in Rose City. Power poles and lines downed across a road in Lupton. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $15,000 | Several trees were downed, one onto a home. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Selkirk | $15,000 | Numerous trees down and damage to a chimney. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $13,000 | A large tree was downed onto a pole barn. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $12,000 | Many trees were downed in central portions of Ogemaw County. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Skidway Lake | $12,000 | Sporadic large trees and power lines were downed in a large area from Skidway Lake to Prescott. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $12,000 | Spotter estimated 60-70 mph winds. Numerous trees downed, one onto a barn. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Prescott | $10,000 | Numerous trees and power lines down in Skidway/Prescott area of Ogemaw county. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beaver Lake | $10,000 | Ogemaw county dispatch reports numerous areas with trees downed and power outages, including Peach Lake and W Finerty Rd. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Skidway Lake | $9,000 | A single, large tree was downed, taking down a power line and landing on a parked vehicle. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $9,000 | Trees and signs were downed. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Edwards | $7,000 | Trees and power lines were downed, and the roof of a barn was torn off. |
| September 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $6,000 | Trees and power lines were downed. |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Skidway Lake | $5,000 | Large tree limbs were broken off of trees. Several power poles were knocked over. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nester | $5,000 | A number of trees and power lines were downed in eastern Ogemaw County. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $5,000 | A barn roof was blown off. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $5,000 | A restaurant sign along M-30 was blown over. A trailer was pushed across M-30 and then rolled over. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $5,000 | An isolated severe thunderstorm downed power lines and a few large trees. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $5,000 | Numerous trees and power lines downed. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | South Branch | $5,000 | Barn roof blown off by strong thunderstorm winds on Heath Road, west of the community of South Branch. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F1) | West Branch | $5,000 | Tornado touched down at the Ron Deneau residence on the south side of Greenwood Road one-half mile west of M-30 in southeast Edwards Township. The tornado touched down momentarily, 18 feet from the residence, and carried away a 16-foot aluminum boat, a lawnmower, and a 10 X 12 feet aluminum storage shed/workshop and all contents. The residence sustained only minor damage on the north side, apparently from inflow field winds picking up small gravel from the edge of Greenwood Road and firing it through the vinyl siding of the residence. Only small portions of the shed were found spread across a field extending 0.3 mile east-southeast. Heavy hand tools from the shed were found along highway M-30, 0.6 mile east-southeast, on the far side of a one-quarter mile wide stand of mature, 60 to 70-foot high hardwoods. The boat, lawnmower, and remainder of shed and contents remain missing. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lupton | $4,000 | Trees and powerlines down. Time estimated via radar. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nester | $4,000 | Several trees were downed near Sage Lake. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Edwards | $4,000 | Trees and power lines were downed near the intersection of Stillwagon Road and Greenwood Road. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $4,000 | Trees downed near McGreoger Road and Horseshoe Lake Road. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clear Lake | $4,000 | Trees and power lines were downed. |
| April 1974 | Tornado (F2) | not stated | $2,500 | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $2,000 | Trees down in front of the Dollar General in Rose City. Time estimated via radar. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Selkirk | $2,000 | A tree was downed onto power lines. The tree ignited and partially burned. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lupton | $2,000 | Power lines were downed. |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $2,000 | Several poplar trees downed. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rose City | $2,000 | Trees were downed onto Fairview Road. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | West Branch | $1,500 | A semi-trailer was blown over near I-75. |
Mines and quarries
13 recordedThe Survey's mineral resources record lists 13 workings inside this county. 9 still produce and 4 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 12 |
| Fire Clay (Refractory) | 1 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nw Ogeman State Forest Clay Pit | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Past Producer | ||
| Bunting Sand & Gravel Products Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bunting Sand & Gravel Products Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Ewing Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Fitzgerald and Powell Inc Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Glancy Ogemaw County Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Ogemaw County No 1 Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Ogemaw County Road Commission Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| State of Michigan Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Steen Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| West Branch Concrete Products, Inc. | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| West Branch Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| West Branch Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Every populated place in the county
17Named 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.
-
Campbells Corners
West Branch township · 48661 · On Little Klacking Creek · West Branch quadrangle
11 sheets, 1954 to 1989
-
Fayettes Corner
Cumming township · 48654 · On Wilkins Creek · Rose City quadrangle
11 sheets, 1954 to 1989
-
Skidway Lake
Mills township · 48756 · On Mills Creek · Skidway Lake quadrangle
9 sheets, 1954 to 1989
-
West Branch
West Branch city · 48661 · On Brewery Creek · West Branch quadrangle
11 sheets, 1954 to 1989
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.