Enter any address in Isabella County, Michigan to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Isabella County. Recent events include torrential rainfall in June 2017, which caused major flooding, closed over 100 roads, and resulted in significant damage to homes, roads, bridges, and crops. More recently, in May 2022, isolated severe storms produced 3.0 to 4.5 inches of rain in about two hours over parts of the county, leading to flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program data shows that properties designated as Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $14,581 and an average water depth of 7.2 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas prone to flash flooding from intense rainfall, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
12 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Isabella County, Michigan has recorded 17 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 8 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 11 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1975–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 22, 2017 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Sep 10, 1986 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Flood | Sep 5, 1985 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Snowstorm | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Drought | Drought | Mar 2, 1977 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Icing & Flooding | Severe Storm | Mar 19, 1976 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 11, 2022 | 100.00K |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Oct 1, 2019 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Jun 23, 2017 | 70.00M |
| Flood | Apr 17, 2013 | 3.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2011 | 5.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 11, 2010 | 4.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2008 | 100.00K |
| Flood | May 23, 2004 | 1M |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2001 | 10K |
Flood — May 11, 2022
Isolated severe storms resulted in several reports of large hail and isolated wind damage in the form of downed trees and limbs. Back-building thunderstorms moved from Isabella County back toward Big Rapids and resulted in 3.0 to 4.5 inches of rain in about 2 hours over parts of Isabella and Mecosta Counties.
Flood — May 18, 2020
Significant rainfall fell across all of Lower Michigan on May 17 and 18 with many locations in Southwest Lower Michigan reporting over 3 inches of rain. This was the culmination of an already wet week that had experienced three separate episodes of heavy rain. As a result, soil was already saturated and this additional rain immediately became runoff instead of soaking into the ground. There we...
Flood — Oct 1, 2019
Two to nearly five inches of rain fell across portions of west central lower Michigan and resulted in some flooding of area roads and low lying areas. Several roads were closed.
Flood — Jun 23, 2017
Several rounds of torrential rainfall resulted in major flooding in portions of Isabella county, where some locations received close to seven inches of rain. The flooding resulted in over 90 million dollars worth of damage to homes, roads and bridges in Isabella county. At one point over 100 roads were closed due to flooding. Over 20 million dollars worth of damage to crops was incurred.
Flood — Apr 17, 2013
Record flooding occurred during the month of April and record crests occurred on the lower portions of the Grand River at Ionia, Lowell, Ada, Comstock Park, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Due to the severity of the flooding, Michigan���s Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of disaster for 19 counties and two cities. ||The two cities declared in the disaster were Grand Rapids and Ionia. T...
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Isabella County, Michigan:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Isabella County, Michigan that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.