49 flood insurance claims·$228,307 paid·3 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 Huron 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.
General flooding and flash flooding from storms, combined with lakeshore flooding, define the flood risks in Huron County based on NOAA storm event records from the last thirty years.
Specific historical events illustrate these hazards. In July 2020, severe thunderstorms caused extreme water level fluctuations and subsequent lakeshore flooding along southern Lake Huron. A few weeks later in August 2020, prolonged back-building thunderstorms dropped 3 to 6 inches of rainfall—with isolated totals reaching 8 inches around Kinde and Filion—resulting in flooded and washed-out roads.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that property owners in multiple zones experience distinct impacts. Homeowners in Zone A experienced the highest average payouts at $15,443 with an average recorded water depth of 50 inches. Meanwhile, properties categorized under Zone UNKNOWN recorded 23 claims with an average payout of $2,862 and an average water depth of 3 inches, and Zone X properties recorded 9 claims averaging $11,870 with an average water depth of 1 inch. Coastal property owners, residents near the lakeshore, and property owners in designated high-risk zones should pay the closest attention to these recurring flood hazards.
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 9 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 24 claims and $62,444 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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Huron County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 10, 1986 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 5, 1985 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 12, 1973 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 5 flash floods, 7 river or area floods and 4 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Flood | Jul 19, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Aug 16, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 16, 2020 | — |
| Lakeshore Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | $100,000 |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | — |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 16, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2010 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Lakeshore Flood · Jul 19, 2020. Severe thunderstorms moving through the area caused extreme water level fluctuations on Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River, and southern Lake Huron, which lead to lakeshore flooding.
Flood · Aug 16, 2020. Prolonged back building thunderstorms produced 3 to 6 inches of rainfall over northern Lake Huron during the early morning hours of August 16th with isolated 8 inch totals around Kinde and Filion. Roads were reported flood with some washed out as well.
Flash Flood · Aug 16, 2020. Prolonged back building thunderstorms produced 3 to 6 inches of rainfall over northern Lake Huron during the early morning hours of August 16th with isolated 8 inch totals around Kinde and Filion. Roads were reported flood with some washed out as well.
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 Huron 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.