Natural hazards · Alma

Alma, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1986. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Alma?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alma to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding58%Tornadoes15%Strong wind11%Cold waves10%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Alma faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Alma flood?

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

20paid claims since 1986

$144Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19862026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 2 claims, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Gratiot County.

Disasters that hit Alma

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Alma itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Alma.

Brought FEMA money into AlmaDeclared for Gratiot County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

2000

Snow

$2K to the City of Alma for repairs

Gratiot County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Alma

Alma and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Almamostly inland floodingModerate

St. Louismostly inland floodingModerate

Pine Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Arcadamostly 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. Alma covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alma. 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 Alma total about $4.0M 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.