Natural hazards · Bear Creek

Bear Creek, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bear Creek comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Bear Creek?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bear Creek to be higher than in 3% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves44%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Bear Creek faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Bear Creek flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bear Creek.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Emmet County.

Disasters that hit Bear Creek

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bear Creek itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Bear Creek.

Brought FEMA money into Bear CreekDeclared for Emmet County only

2025

Severe Winter Storm

$60K to the Township of Bear Creek for repairs

Emmet County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and ice storms.

Around Bear Creek

Bear Creek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Springvalemostly inland floodingModerate

Little Traversemostly inland floodingVery low

Melrosemostly inland floodingVery low

Bear Creekmostly inland floodingVery low

Resortmostly inland floodingVery low

Petoskeymostly 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. Bear Creek covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bear Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bear Creek. 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 Bear Creek total about $1.9M 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.