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Grayling, Michigan

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1949 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Grayling Charter Township. It lies in ZIP code area 49738. It stands on Simpson Creek. The Survey maps it on the Grayling quadrangle. 1,867 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,138 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Grayling within Crawford County

On record in Grayling

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Grayling fell from 1,884 to 1,867 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20101,884
20201,867-17 (-1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 14 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

95 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 95 fires within 5 miles of Grayling between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,545 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 7 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined25
Equipment and vehicle use22
Debris and open burning13
Railroad operations and maintenance9
Arson/incendiarism7
Recreation and ceremony6
Misuse of fire by a minor6
Power generation/transmission/distribution3
Smoking2
Other causes1
Natural1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
8 September 2002Power generation/transmission/distributionunder an acreMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
12 September 2002Power generation/transmission/distribution2.6 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
7 August 1992Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
5 August 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesLOVELLS TOWNSHIP FD 0039329 - 2019
2 August 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesBEAVER CREEK FD 19197 - 2019
2 August 2019Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesCRAWFORD 07 - I-75 254MM NBOUND
17 August 2019Equipment and vehicle use1.0 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesGRAYLING FD 2019168 - 2019
17 August 2008Arson/incendiarism1.0 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesCRAWFORD - BLAAUW

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Crawford County

Storms near this place

51 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Grayling in 51 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 26 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 5 tornado, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGrayling$500,000Numerous trees and power lines were brought down by strong thunderstorm winds, some of which damaged houses and vehicles on the way down.
June 2012Tornado (EF1)Grayling$60,000This EF1 tornado impacted the Forest Dunes Golf Club. The initial touchdown was near the entrance to the club. Damage along the first half of the path was sporadic, with some trees uprooted and/or snapped. Damage intensity increased as the tornado reached a clear-cut area adjacent to its path, allowing the winds to more directly strike a large stand of trees. Damage in this one stand, alongside one of the fairways at the club, was considerable, with the majority of the trees felled. All told, over 100 trees were uprooted and/or snapped, including a mix of hardwoods and softwoods. Maximum winds were estimated at 100 mph.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGrayling$50,000Numerous trees and power lines were downed from thunderstorm winds along and over Stephan Bridge Road.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGrayling$50,000Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines across Beaver Creek Township, blocking a few roadways.
August 1993Tornado (F1)Grayling$50,000A small tornado touched down 2 miles north of the Crawford-Roscommon County border and 1.5 miles west of Interstate 75 then moved northeast for just under 8 miles before lifting. It dropped a tree on a house at the initial touchdown location then moved northeast generally tree-topping and doing only minor damage until it crossed Interstate 75. After crossing Interstate 75 the tornado strengthened and began doing widespread tree damage. In the next 1.5 miles it destroyed nearly a thousand large hardwoods and pines damaged a travel trailer and outbuildings at one residence and damaged the roof of another then tore the roof off of a 12- X 60-foot mobile home. After passing the intersection of Johnson and Seven Mile Roads 5.5 miles northwest of the village of Roscommon it proceeded northeast through a heavily wooded area for nearly another 4 miles uprooting or snapping off well in excess of another thousand trees.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindGrayling$40,000A large swath of sporadic tree damage occurred in eastern and northeast Crawford County. Several homes were damaged by falling trees.
June 2024Tornado (EF0)Grayling$21,000A tornado briefly touched down on the Forest Dunes Golf Club grounds. Golfers on the course observed trees being blown down, but no injuries were reported. Among other numerous downed trees with this event, a couple trees fell on a house located on the club grounds.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindGrayling$16,000A large tree was downed onto a house, resulting in significant structural damage.
November 2013Thunderstorm WindGrayling$9,000Multiple trees downed in the Grayling area.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindGrayling$9,000Numerous trees were downed, and siding was ripped off of a home.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindGrayling$8,000Multiple trees and power lines were downed in South Branch Township.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindGrayling$8,000Trees and power lines downed.
July 2006Flash FloodGrayling$6,000Runoff overwhelmed drainage system on Michigan Avenue. Water backed up from the street into storefronts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindGrayling$5,000Several large trees were downed.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindGrayling$5,000Trees were downed.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGrayling$5,000A spotter on the northwest corner of Higgins Lake reported a wind gust of 62 mph with the passage of an intense gust front. Thunderstorm winds brought down numerous trees and a few power lines in the area.
August 1995Thunderstorm WindGrayling$5,000Numerous trees were brought down from strong thunderstorm winds between Grayling and Hartwick Pines along M-93.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling$5,000Damaging thunderstorm winds uprooted numerous trees and tore down power lines along the southeast shore of Lake Margrethe. Four buildings, mostly garages, sustained roof damage on Poplar Avenue and Margrethe Boulevard. An antique car was also damaged in this area.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindGrayling$4,000Several trees were downed near the I-75 and US-127 split.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindGrayling$3,000Trees were downed.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindGrayling$2,000Trees downed just north of Higgins Lake.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling$500Thunderstorm winds uprooted, tore down or snapped off several trees along highway M-72, 0.4 mile west of Au Sable Trail.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling$500Several trees uprooted, torn down or snapped off by strong thunderstorm winds along Au Sable Trail.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling$500Several trees uprooted, torn down or snapped off by strong thunderstorm winds near intersection of Tomahawk Court and Yorke Trail.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling$50Several trees uprooted, torn down or snapped off by strong thunderstorm winds along the north portion of the Interstate 75 Business Loop in the community of Grayling.
June 2005HailGrayling-Penny-sized hail reported 2 miles north of Roscommon.
July 2004HailGrayling-Hail covered the ground.
July 2004HailGrayling-Near Deerheart Valley.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindGrayling-Numerous trees down.
May 2001HailGrayling-An upper low and the associated cold air aloft caused scattered thunderstorms to develop during the afternoon and evening hours across northern Lower Michigan. A few of the thunderstorms produced severe hail.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindGrayling-Trees down.
June 2000Thunderstorm WindGrayling-Several trees were blown down.
May 1998Tornado (F0)Grayling-The brief tornado touchdown heavilly damaged 1 home.
July 1997Tornado (F1)Grayling-The tornado associated with this thunderstorm initially touched down in the far southeast corner of the county. The thunderstorm produced straight-line wind damage to trees along its entire path across the southern part of the county with tonadic damage first reported in far southeast portions of the county. The tornado briefly touched down an then lifted back up into the storm. This pattern of continuous straight line wind damage with occasional brief tornado touchdowns continued into Oscoda county as the storm tracked eastward. This was a strong F1 tornado.
July 1995HailGrayling-Golf ball-size hail was reported along Lake Margrethe.
July 1994HailGrayling-Hail three-quarter inch in diameter was reported to Crawford County Central Dispatch along the west shore of Lake Margrethe.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGrayling-Numerous trees were uprooted, torn down, or snapped off by strong thunderstorm winds along the south side of Hunter Road, from M-18 east to the county line.
June 2015HailGrayling-no account filed
July 2014HailGrayling-no account filed
June 2011HailGrayling-no account filed
April 2011HailGrayling-no account filed
April 2011HailGrayling-no account filed
July 2006HailGrayling-no account filed
June 2005HailGrayling-no account filed
May 2002HailGrayling-no account filed
August 2001HailGrayling-no account filed
May 1998HailGrayling-no account filed
May 1998Thunderstorm WindGrayling-no account filed
June 1998HailGrayling-no account filed
April 1995HailGrayling-no account filed
April 1993HailGrayling-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Crawford County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Collens Landing3.2 miles14
Lake Margrethe3.2 miles14
Danish Landing3.5 miles14
Rasmus3.9 miles14
Louis Cabin Landing4.1 miles14
McIntyre Landing5.0 miles14
Babbits Resort5.4 miles13
Skyline Village6.3 miles13

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on GraylingAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2738881The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 627264. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

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.

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.