515 flood insurance claims·$2.5M paid·4 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 Bay 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.
Bay County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by a mix of general floods, lakeshore floods, and flash floods. Over the past 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 8 flood events, 7 lakeshore flood events, and 6 flash flood events, which resulted in 1 death.
Significant recent events illustrate these hazards. In January 2020, a winter storm brought strong northeast winds that led to high water levels, large waves, and significant lakeshore flooding and erosion along the Bay County shoreline. A stalled low pressure system in May 2020 brought record rainfall of 4 to 6 inches to the Tri-Cities region, causing significant flooding along the Saginaw River and historic flooding across the area.
Residents in high-risk zones should pay the most attention, particularly those in Zone A, which accounts for the highest claim volume with 219 claims, an average payout of $9,395, and an average recorded water depth of 3 inches. Property owners in shaded and unshaded Zone X, unknown zones, and standard Zone X—where average payouts range from $3,922 to $12,243 and average recorded water depths range from 2 to 3 inches—also experience recurring claims and should evaluate their flood exposure.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
45% of Bay County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
401 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 1986, with 205 claims and $815,301 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
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.
9 NOAA storm reports from Bay County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 22, 2017 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Severe Storms | May 29, 1998 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 21, 1996 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 10, 1986 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 5, 1985 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
21 since 1996: 6 flash floods, 8 river or area floods and 7 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Flood | Sep 22, 2021 | — |
| Lakeshore Flood | May 18, 2020 | $2.0M |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | $1.0M |
| Lakeshore Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | $200,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | May 3, 2020 | — |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | $2.0M |
| Lakeshore Flood | Apr 15, 2018 | $2.0M |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Lakeshore Flood · Sep 22, 2021. An early fall deepening low pressure system tracking along a frontal boundary delivered strong winds and heavy rain to southeast Michigan. Most areas saw rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches, with locally 6 inches. Fortunately, just minor river flooding and flooding in low lying areas was reported, with the exception of Wayne county where localized flooding in Hamtramck stranded cars. More impactful, was the high win…
Lakeshore Flood · May 18, 2020. A stalled low pressure system and frontal boundary across the southern Great Lakes region brought record rainfall to southeast Michigan beginning the morning of May 17, 2020 and continuing into the afternoon hours of May 19, 2020. Total rainfall reached 1 to 6 inches across southeast Michigan, with the 4 to 6 inches focused across the Tri-Cities region. As a result, several rivers across the region flooded includi…
Flood · May 18, 2020. A stalled low pressure system and frontal boundary across the southern Great Lakes region brought record rainfall to southeast Michigan beginning the morning of May 17, 2020 and continuing into the afternoon hours of May 19, 2020. Total rainfall reached 1 to 6 inches across southeast Michigan, with the 4 to 6 inches focused across the Tri-Cities region. As a result, several rivers across the region flooded includi…
Lakeshore Flood · Jan 11, 2020. A winter storm tracking through southeast Michigan brought heavy rain and freezing rain, with about a quarter of an inch ice from US-10 south to about M-57. Many accidents and spin outs occurred across the Tri-Cities region and Flint vicinity due to the icy roads. In addition, strong northeast winds lead to high water levels and large waves causing significant lakeshore flooding and erosion along Bay, Tuscola, and…
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 Bay 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.