Natural hazards · Petoskey

Petoskey, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Petoskey comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2014. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Petoskey?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Petoskey to be higher than in 0% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding44%Cold waves43%Tornadoes6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Petoskey 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

Well below average · higher than 3% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

43% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Petoskey flood?

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

1paid claims since 2014

$14Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20142026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Emmet County.

Disasters that hit Petoskey

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PetoskeyDeclared for Emmet County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

38 households applied for aid $219K aid approved

2025

Severe Winter Storm

$956K to the City of Petoskey for repairs

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

Around Petoskey

Petoskey and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bear Creekmostly inland floodingVery low

Resortmostly inland floodingVery low

Petoskeymostly 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. Petoskey covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Petoskey’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Petoskey. 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 Petoskey total about $2.0M 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.