9 flood insurance claims·$4,653 paid·2 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 Ontonagon 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 1 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 3 claims and $2,127 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Ontonagon County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Flooding | Apr 10, 2002 |
| Severe Deep Freeze | Jan 10, 1994 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Drought | Mar 2, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
10 since 1996: 5 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2025 | $1.6M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2024 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2023 | $8.0M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 2022 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 4, 2022 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2013 | $550,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2010 | $15,000 |
| Flood | May 11, 2003 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 23, 2025. A series of training thunderstorms brought flash flooding to portions of Houghton and Ontonagon Counties between 0300 and 0730EST on July 23. Four-hour rainfall totals ranged from two to four inches in the area. The Governor of Michigan declared a state of emergency as a result of the flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 18, 2024. Heavy rains of 3 to 5 inches from thunderstorms washed out culverts over portions of Ontonagon and Houghton counties during the early morning of the 19th.
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 · Jun 13, 2022. Rainfall estimates of 2 to 3 inches from thunderstorms during the day on the 13th caused flash flooding on the south end of Porcupine Mountains State Park. The South Boundary Road was closed from Summit Peak to the Gogebic County line due to water over the road.
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 Ontonagon 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.