Natural hazards · Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ann Arbor comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ann Arbor?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ann Arbor to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding55%Tornadoes23%Strong wind8%Cold waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Ann Arbor faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Ann Arbor flood?

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

1paid claims since 2023

$35Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20232026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washtenaw County.

Disasters that hit Ann Arbor

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Ann ArborDeclared for Washtenaw County only

Washtenaw County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Superiormostly inland floodingLow

Sciomostly inland floodingVery low

Ann Arbormostly inland floodingVery low

Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Barton Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Ann Arbor covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ann Arbor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ann Arbor. 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 Ann Arbor total about $2.2M 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.