13 flood insurance claims·$184,327 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 Hillsdale 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 3 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 2018, with 5 claims and $96,428 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.
9 federal disaster declarations since 1965.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Power Outage | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Snowstorms | Feb 5, 1977 |
| Tornadoes | Apr 12, 1974 |
| Tornadoes & Severe Storms | Apr 14, 1965 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
6 since 1996: 6 flash floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Sep 1, 2013 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2010 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 9, 1997 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 1996 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 1996 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Sep 1, 2013. A strong warm front surged north into Lower Michigan during the early morning hours of the 9th. Steep lapse rates and abundant lift with the front along allowed for several rounds of showers and a few thunderstorms to persist across portions of far southern Lower Michigan. Reports of four to over five inches of rain were received across portions of Hillsdale County, especially in the Litchfield area where several…
Flash Flood · May 21, 2010. A upper level impulse, abundant moisture and a south-southwesterly flow combined to allow for the development of thunderstorms. While several produced small hail and locally gusty winds, the main effect was torrential rainfall, on the order of 1 to 3 inches per hour. This resulted in flash flooding in several locations across western Defiance county.
Flash Flood · Jun 17, 1996. Flash flooding from rains measured at over three inches caused road washouts and damage to culverts, bridges, and homes. A bridge along Ridge Drive was washed away. Many houses suffered water damage near Berry Lake.
Flash Flood · May 9, 1996. Rain totals of nearly 3 inches resulted from thunderstorms moving across the county, causing flooding of streets and some basements as well as overflow of small streams.
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 Hillsdale 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.