69 flood insurance claims·$1.3M paid·5 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Allegan County, Michigan. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding and river flooding from severe storms dominate the flood history of Allegan County, supported by 14 flash flood events and 6 general flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Notable historical events include record flooding in April 2013 that prompted a state disaster declaration across multiple Michigan counties, and intense rainfall from evening thunderstorms on June 19, 2009, which fell on already saturated ground alongside severe storms and tornadoes. Additional flooding occurred on June 21, 2011, when storms developed inland from Lake Michigan near Holland due to building heat and lake breeze convergence.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with the highest concentration occurring in Zone A, which recorded 41 claims with an average payout of $42,627 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X recorded 10 claims averaging $12,245 with an average water depth of 4 inches, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 8 claims averaging $19,568 with an average water depth of 3 inches. Zone UNKNOWN accounted for 9 claims with an average payout of $7,872 and an average water depth of 2 inches, and Zone X_SHADED recorded 1 claim averaging $16,378 with a 3-inch average water depth. Property owners in Zone A and those located near rivers or in areas prone to sudden summer storm runoff should pay the most attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Allegan County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
50 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1997, with 7 claims and $109,019 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
11 NOAA storm reports from Allegan County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jun 6, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 | Jan 2, 1999 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 10, 1986 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 8, 1980 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 6 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 17, 2013 | $5.0M |
| Flood | Jun 21, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2010 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2009 | $4.0M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2008 | $2.0M · 2 killed |
| Flood | May 21, 2004 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Oct 24, 2001 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2001 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 17, 2013. Record flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Due to the severity of the flooding, Michigan���s Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster for 19 counties and two cities. ||The two cities declared in the disaster were Grand Rapids and Ionia. The counties included…
Flood · Jun 21, 2011. A warm front moved north across southern and central lower Michigan during the day of June 21st, allowing a much warmer and very humid airmass to advect into the area. Thunderstorms developed during the mid afternoon hours due to the building heat and instability and lake breeze convergence. The first of the thunderstorms developed near Holland around 4 p.m. just a couple miles inland of Lake Michigan where the…
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2010. One round of strong to severe storms impacted far southern lower Michigan during the mid to late afternoon hours of July 22nd, resulting in several reports of downed trees and power lines. The most extensive damage occurred over southwestern Gull Lake in northeastern Kalamazoo county, where a microburst produced winds up to around 75 mph that brought down numerous large trees. ||Another round of strong to severe…
Flash Flood · Jun 19, 2009. Thunderstorms developed and moved across Lake Michigan during the evening hours on June 19th. Several hours of intense rainfall occurred starting around 7:00 PM EST. The ground was already saturated from early morning thunderstorms that produced very heavy rainfall. In addition to the heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes accompanied the thunderstorms.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Allegan County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.