Natural hazards · Forest

Forest, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest 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 Forest?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding44%Cold waves26%Strong wind8%Tornadoes8%Hail6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Forest faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 55 years in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year 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 Forest flood?

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

Disasters that hit Forest

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ForestDeclared for Missaukee County only

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

Around Forest

Forest and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pioneermostly inland floodingLow

Forestmostly inland floodingVery low

West Branchmostly inland floodingVery low

Reedermostly inland floodingVery low

Lake Citymostly inland floodingVery low

Caldwellmostly 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. Forest covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Forest’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Forest. 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 Forest total about $653K 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.