Natural hazards · Merritt

Merritt, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Merritt comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1986.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Merritt?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Merritt to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding49%Cold waves20%Tornadoes15%Strong wind9%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Merritt faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 47 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% 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 Merritt flood?

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

6paid claims since 1986

$70Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19862026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bay County.

Disasters that hit Merritt

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into MerrittDeclared for Bay County only

Bay County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Merritt

Merritt and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Blumfieldmostly inland floodingHigh

Hamptonmostly inland floodingHigh

Merrittmostly inland floodingModerate

Portsmouthmostly inland floodingModerate

Buena Vistamostly inland floodingLow

Gilfordmostly 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. Merritt covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Merritt’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Merritt. 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 Merritt total about $1.6M 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.