Natural hazards · Utica

Utica, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Utica comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1989. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Utica?

30
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Utica to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes21%Cold waves11%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Utica faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Cold waves

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Utica flood?

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

39paid claims since 1989
$988Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19892026

Biggest named events

  • 2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $64K
  • Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $9K

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. Utica isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Macomb County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Utica

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UticaDeclared for Macomb County only
2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $43K aid approved
2021

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

18 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $155K aid approved
2000

Snow

$6K to the City of Utica for repairs
1999

Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99

$5K to the City of Utica for repairs
Macomb County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Utica

Utica and the towns around it

Shelby: Low, mostly inland floodingSterling Heights: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRochester Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingMacomb: High, mostly inland floodingWashington: Low, mostly inland floodingRochester: Very low, mostly inland floodingTroy: Very low, mostly inland floodingClinton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingUtica: Low, mostly inland flooding UticaShelbySterling Heights
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sterling Heightsmostly inland floodingModerate
Uticamostly inland floodingLow
Shelbymostly 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. Utica covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Utica’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Utica. 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 Utica total about $2.2M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01