Natural hazards · Grand Haven

Grand Haven, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Grand Haven comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Grand Haven?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Grand Haven to be higher than in 22% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes11%Strong wind8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Grand Haven faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Grand Haven flood?

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

11paid claims since 1982

$229Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ottawa County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

39flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Grand Haven

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Grand HavenDeclared for Ottawa County only

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $31K aid approved

Ottawa County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Grand Haven

Grand Haven and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ferrysburgmostly inland floodingModerate

Spring Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Grand Havenmostly inland floodingModerate

Spring Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Grand Havenmostly 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. Grand Haven covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Grand Haven’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Grand Haven. 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 Grand Haven total about $3.9M 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.