Natural hazards · Churchill

Churchill, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Churchill comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Churchill?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Churchill to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding52%Hail17%Cold waves11%Strong wind9%Tornadoes5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Churchill faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Hail

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 56 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Churchill flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$10Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $3K

Disasters that hit Churchill

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChurchillDeclared for Ogemaw County only

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

Around Churchill

Churchill and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Churchillmostly inland floodingLow

Loganmostly inland floodingLow

Millsmostly inland floodingLow

Cummingmostly inland floodingLow

West Branchmostly 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. Churchill covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Churchill’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Churchill. 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 Churchill total about $1.3M 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.