Natural hazards · Fork

Fork, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fork comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 2004.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fork?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fork to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and strong winds.

Inland flooding43%Strong wind38%Cold waves8%Tornadoes6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Fork faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Strong wind

38% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 51 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Fork flood?

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

11paid claims since 2004

$219Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

20042026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Mecosta County.

Disasters that hit Fork

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ForkDeclared for Mecosta County only

Mecosta County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Fork

Fork and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Forkmostly inland floodingHigh

Sheridanmostly inland floodingHigh

Chippewamostly inland floodingHigh

Orientmostly inland floodingModerate

Coldwatermostly 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. Fork covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fork’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Fork. 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 Fork 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.