GIS Mapping

Oakland County Twisters: A Historical Guide

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment
A large two-story home with large, moving clouds above it. The sky is darkening and it appears that bad weather is on its way.

If you’re fascinated by weather, you’ll love our Tornadoes Map, created with data from local weather geek Matt Malone by Oakland County’s award-winning GIS team. It shows a limited history of the tornado paths and touchdown points, and their EF scale ratings, from 1953 – 2015. Go back to July of 1957, and view the path of an EF4 tornado that traveled 29.9 miles, almost all the way across the southern portion of Oakland County. In 1998, a funnel was spotted after having touched down near Otter Road and Sylvan Lake. It lifted without causing any damage – what a relief! Click on the map to learn more and get details on twisters that touched down here in the past.

A screenshot of a GIS Map of tornado paths and starting/touchdown points in Oakland County, Michigan ca. 1953-2015. Data provided by NOAA, OCIT, and Matt Malone of Farmington Hills GIS. Continue reading →

Find a Farm in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

Fresh, seasonal produce can be found locally throughout the 25,000 acres of farmland in Oakland County. From Spring, Summer, and Fall look for fresh fruits and vegetables like asparagus, berries, corn, apples, and pumpkins-some you can even pick yourself! You can also find local alpaca wool, dairy, honey, and meat from local farms. Visit a farm stand, u-pick farm, or Community Supported Agriculture location to find fresh produce for you and your family to enjoy while supporting local farmers. Use our interactive map or list to find one near you.

List of Farms in Oakland County

Check out the Long Family Farm in Commerce for a taste of their ripe sweet corn, travel to the beautiful Middleton Berry Farm in Ortonville to pick a few berries on your own, or head on over to Guernsey Farms Dairy, in Northville, for flavorful ice cream! In addition, many of the farms allow day trips and visits for kids to learn all about what goes on in and around the barnyard. 

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Do you know of any other farms in the Oakland County area? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter, contact us at socialmedia@oakgov.com, or leave a comment below.

Visit the Oakland County website, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more news and fun year round. Join the conversation using #OaklandCounty.

Navigating Nature Centers in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

If you’d like to learn about the wilds surrounding your everyday life, you’ll love our map of nature centers in Oakland County. This interactive map, created by Oakland County’s award-winning GIS team, will lead you on a journey across the county, from center to center, helping you plan a trip to any one of these great locations to learn about the natural world. Sunshine or rain, summer or winter, these nature centers are there for you to help grow your pool of knowledge!

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Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. Photo credit: Jonathan Schechter

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Walk Down Memory Lane with Aerial Photographs of Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government 3 Comments

Did you know that Oakland County has an extensive aerial imagery collection? With our new app, you can go back and explore the county over time, ranging from 1940-2017. Enter an address or city in the “Search Address/Place” box. Then, zoom in and out as you check out your house, neighborhood, landmark buildings, parks, and more by clicking on the boxes next to each year, or layer. Take a trip all the way back to 1940 and explore our county 70 years ago, or “live in the now” by checking out our super-detailed 3-inch resolution 2017 imagery.

Take a look at this progression over time. Isn’t it amazing?

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Find the Perfect Gift at an Independent Toy Store in Oakland County

Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

Are you looking for a unique and special toy? Oakland County is home to several independent toy shops that offer a variety of specialty toys and events that will fill you and your little ones with childlike wonder. You’ll find all kinds of extraordinary items, like dolls, games, comics, educational toys, and more this holiday season and throughout the year. When you shop small, you can support local businesses and find the perfect gift all at the same time. Surprise the little ones in your life with something they’ll treasure.

Did you know Oakland County’s Shop Small Business Saturday to Saturday contest is going on now through Saturday, December 2nd? You can enter for a chance to win prizes by submitting uploads of your shopping receipts from small businesses in Oakland County. There’s really no better time to shop small at an Independent Toy Store! Continue reading →