6 flood insurance claims·$14,756 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 Dickinson 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 from summer thunderstorms and rapid snowmelt dominates the flood risk profile in Dickinson County, Michigan, accounting for 13 flash flood events and 3 general flood events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Historical events illustrate these hazards. In April 2019, an abundant and anomalously wet snowpack combined with moderate to heavy rain to cause widespread minor river flooding. Later, in May 2022, an upper-level disturbance brought heavy rainfall and flooding to portions of west and central Upper Michigan. Spring snowmelt can also drive extensive regional impacts, as seen in April 2023 when rapid melting of above-normal snowpack led to a state of emergency declaration across multiple Upper Michigan counties.
Federal flood insurance data reflects limited historical National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim activity in the area. Records show five claims in Zone UNKNOWN with an average payout of $3,179 and an average recorded water depth of 51 inches, alongside one claim in Zone X_SHADED with a $2,041 average payout and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents with properties in unmapped or shaded zones should pay close attention to these localized flood risks, particularly during periods of heavy seasonal rainfall and rapid spring snowmelt.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 39 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 2002, with 2 claims and $4,243 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 Dickinson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
5 federal disaster declarations since 1977.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Drought | Mar 2, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 13 flash floods and 3 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 13, 2023 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 12, 2022 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2018 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 17, 2016 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 4, 2014 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 4, 2014 | $30,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2013 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 13, 2023. Rapid melting of much above normal snowpack caused widespread, and at times, extensive flooding over portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the 12th into the 25th. Extensive impacts from the flooding caused Governor Whitmer to declare a state of emergency declaration for eight counties in west and central Upper Michigan on the 21st.
Flash Flood · May 12, 2022. An upper disturbance moving through a warm, moist and unstable environment set the stage for the development of isolated severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and flooding over portions of west and central Upper Michigan during the afternoon and evening of the 12th. Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the flood damage in western Marquette County.
Flood · Apr 23, 2019. Abundant and anomalously wet snow pack along with periods of moderate to heavy rain contributed to widespread minor river flooding across much of west and central Upper Michigan from the 18th through the end of the month.
Flash Flood · Jun 16, 2018. A very moist and unstable air mass in place and the presence of a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced several rounds of severe storms and flash flooding across portions of west and central Upper Michigan from the 16th into the 17th. The hardest-hit area was in Houghton County where widespread rain amounts of 3 to almost 7 inches caused massive flood damage to the City of Houghton and surrounding areas an…
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 Dickinson 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.