Natural hazards · Whitefish

Whitefish, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Whitefish comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2016.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Whitefish?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Whitefish to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding88%Cold waves6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Whitefish faces

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

Inland flooding

88% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Whitefish flood?

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

2paid claims since 2016

$137Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $14K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chippewa County.

Disasters that hit Whitefish

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WhitefishDeclared for Chippewa County only

Chippewa County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Whitefish

Whitefish and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

McMillanmostly inland floodingVery low

Bay Millsmostly inland floodingVery low

Whitefishmostly inland floodingVery low

Chippewamostly inland floodingVery low

Hulbertmostly 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. Whitefish covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Whitefish’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Whitefish. 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 Whitefish total about $625K 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.