60 flood insurance claims·$345,027 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 Lenawee 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.
Standard riverine flooding and heavy rain events dominate Lenawee County, accounting for 24 flood events compared to 10 flash flood events over the last 30 years according to the NOAA Storm Events Database. Significant incidents include a heavy rainfall event on March 10, 2009, when 3 to 5 inches of rain caused moderate to major flooding along the River Raisin, flooding roads and homes in Blissfield and Dundee. Additionally, heavy rainfall on June 27, 2015, brought 2 to 5 inches of rain across the county, with rainfall totals reaching 3.90 inches in Adrian and 4.81 inches in Morenci.
Federal flood insurance claims data shows the highest impact within designated high-risk areas. Zone A accounts for 39 claims with an average payout of $9,188 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Properties with unknown flood zones recorded 16 claims averaging $4,988 with an average water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X and shaded Zone X properties recorded fewer claims with lower average water depths. Homeowners and real estate agents near rivers and within FEMA Zone A should pay the most attention to flood risk, as these areas experience the highest frequency of claims and historical water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5% of Lenawee County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
41 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 5 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 1982, with 13 claims and $57,680 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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Lenawee County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
6 federal disaster declarations since 1965.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 | Jan 2, 1999 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Tornadoes & Severe Storms | Apr 14, 1965 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
34 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 24 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jun 27, 2015 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2010 | — |
| Flood | Mar 10, 2009 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2008 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2008 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2006 | $150,000 |
| Flood | Jan 14, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
Flood · Jun 27, 2015. Two to five inches of rain fell, mainly during the daytime hours of Saturday, June 27. |Here are some storm total rainfall reports received:|Blissfield 3.46 inches.|Tecumseh 3.56 inches.|Adrian 3.90 inches.|Morenci 4.81 inches.
Flash Flood · May 21, 2010. A batch of heavy showers and embedded thunderstorms caused flooding over Lenawee county with isolated wind damage over Livingston county.
Flood · Mar 10, 2009. Heavy rain fell between the 7th and 11th bringing 3 or more inches of rainfall to a good portion of southeast lower Michigan with the River Raisin basin getting hit the worst with 4 to 5 inches in that period. This caused flooding along several rivers with moderate flooding on the Huron at Hamburg and the reach from Blissfield down to Monroe getting moderate to major flooding. Dundee recorded its 3rd highest crest…
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 Lenawee 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.