Natural hazards · Big Creek

Big Creek, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Big Creek comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Big Creek?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Big Creek to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and lightning.

Inland flooding48%Lightning26%Cold waves10%Wildfire5%Tornadoes5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Big Creek faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lightning

26% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

5% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 74 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong wind

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 Big Creek flood?

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

Disasters that hit Big Creek

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Big CreekDeclared for Oscoda County only

Oscoda County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around Big Creek

Big Creek and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Branchmostly inland floodingHigh

Mentormostly inland floodingLow

Fostermostly inland floodingLow

Big Creekmostly inland floodingVery low

Greenwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Elmermostly 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. Big Creek covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Big Creek’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Big 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 Big Creek total about $1.6M 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.