Natural hazards · Gilford

Gilford, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gilford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1980.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gilford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gilford to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves29%Tornadoes13%Strong wind9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Gilford faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

29% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gilford flood?

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

36paid claims since 1980

$232Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Tuscola County.

Disasters that hit Gilford

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into GilfordDeclared for Tuscola County only

Tuscola County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Gilford

Gilford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Denmarkmostly inland floodingHigh

Merrittmostly inland floodingModerate

Gilfordmostly inland floodingLow

Wisnermostly inland floodingLow

Fairgrovemostly inland floodingLow

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. Gilford covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gilford’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Gilford. 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 Gilford total about $1.1M 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.