Natural hazards · Elm River

Elm River, MI natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elm River?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elm River to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding62%Cold waves25%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Elm River faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesEarthquakesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Elm River flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Elm River.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Houghton County.

Disasters that hit Elm River

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Elm RiverDeclared for Houghton County only

Houghton County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Elm River

Elm River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lairdmostly inland floodingModerate

Elm Rivermostly inland floodingLow

Bohemiamostly inland floodingLow

Stantonmostly inland floodingLow

Adamsmostly inland floodingLow

Portagemostly 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. Elm River is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elm River’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Elm River. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.