Natural hazards · Michigan

Michigan, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Michigan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1989.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Michigan?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Michigan to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding44%Tornadoes15%Cold waves12%Strong wind9%Hail7%Drought6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Michigan faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Michigan flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Michigan, from FEMA’s records.

6paid claims since 1989

$178Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Michigan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Clinton County.

Disasters that hit Michigan

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Clinton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Michigan itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into MichiganDeclared for Clinton County only

Clinton County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Michigan

Michigan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Johnsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Kirklinmostly inland floodingModerate

Forestmostly inland floodingModerate

Centermostly inland floodingModerate

Michiganmostly inland floodingModerate

Warrenmostly inland floodingModerate

Unionmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Michigan covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Michigan’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Michigan. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Michigan total about $2.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.