Natural hazards · Flint

Flint, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Flint comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 121 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Flint?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Flint to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes23%Cold waves16%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Flint faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 49% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Flint flood?

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

121paid claims since 1978

$1.3Mpaid to owners

22homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 2 claims, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Genesee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

31flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Flint

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Flint itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Flint.

Brought FEMA money into FlintDeclared for Genesee County only

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

759 households applied for aid $242K aid approved

2000

Snow

$60K to the City of Flint for repairs

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

Around Flint

Flint and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Flintmostly inland floodingLow

Burtonmostly inland floodingLow

Geneseemostly inland floodingLow

Mount Morrismostly inland floodingLow

Mundymostly inland floodingVery low

Flintmostly 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. Flint covers 41 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Flint’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Flint. 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 Flint total about $27.0M 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.