10 flood insurance claims·$184,329 paid
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 Charlevoix 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 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 2026, with 3 claims and $54,235 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.
3 NOAA storm reports from Charlevoix County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
7 federal disaster declarations since 1977.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Mar 28, 2025 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Deep Freeze | Jan 10, 1994 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Drought | Mar 2, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
4 since 1996: 1 flash floods and 3 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Flood | Nov 15, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | Apr 13, 2020 | $150,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 21, 2019 | $80,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2012 | $2,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Lakeshore Flood · Nov 15, 2020. Gusty winds increased on the 15th, as strong low pressure moved directly over northern Michigan before departing. Gusts of 50 to 55 mph were common along the Lake Michigan coastline. A peak gust of 59 mph was measured at Grand Traverse Light. Hunting activities were significantly disrupted (the 15th is opening day of the firearms season for deer in Michigan). Lakeshore flooding also developed along portions of Lak…
Lakeshore Flood · Apr 13, 2020. Strong low pressure passed just north of eastern upper Michigan on the morning of the 13th. Gusty west to northwest winds developed during the day, in the wake of the low. Gusts of 40 to 50 mph were common across northern Michigan, especially during the afternoon. The highest measured wind gust was 58 mph at the airport in Gaylord. Some localized power outages resulted. Lakeshore flooding also occurred along porti…
Lakeshore Flood · Oct 21, 2019. Strong northerly to easterly winds resulted in another round of substantial coastal flooding and beach erosion, this time on both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, for the 21st into the 22nd.
Flash Flood · Jun 18, 2012. A warm front allowed warm and moist air to surge north into Northern Michigan. Initial thunderstorms developed in Eastern Upper Michigan in the afternoon; some of these produced large hail. Incoming thunderstorms organized into a line as they crossed Northern Lake Michigan; this squall line produced many reports of 40 to 55mph winds, but only a few pockets of wind damage, in addition to a single tornado.
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 Charlevoix 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.