Enter any address in Ottawa County, Michigan to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms and general flooding from heavy rainfall are the dominant flood types in Ottawa County, MI. Over the last 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 13 flash flood events and 8 flood events. Recent examples include significant rainfall causing widespread runoff and road closures in May 2020, and record flooding along the Grand River in April 2013, which led to a state of disaster declaration for multiple counties.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A and Zone UNKNOWN have experienced the highest average payouts and water depths. Claims in Zone X also show substantial average payouts and water depths comparable to Zone A. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, Zone UNKNOWN, and Zone X, as well as those located near rivers or in areas with a history of flooding, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
17 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ottawa County, Michigan has recorded 21 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 13 flash floods and 8 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Flooding | Flood | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 6, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 20, 2004 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 | Snowstorm | Jan 2, 1999 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | May 29, 1998 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Flood | Sep 10, 1986 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Apr 17, 2013 | 5.00M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2011 | 1.50M |
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2011 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2009 | 34.00M |
| Flood | Dec 27, 2008 | 3.60M |
| Flood | Jun 8, 2008 | 5.00K (1 deaths) |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2008 | 1.00M (1 deaths) |
| Flood | May 21, 2004 | 1M |
| Flash Flood | Oct 24, 2001 | 25K |
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 — 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...
Flash Flood — Jun 21, 2011
A warm front moved north across southern and central lower Michigan during the day of June 21st, allowing a much warmer and very humid airmass to advect into the area. Thunderstorms developed during the mid afternoon hours due to the building heat and instability and lake breeze convergence. The first of the thunderstorms developed near Holland around 4 p.m. just a couple miles inland of Lake...
Flash Flood — Jun 19, 2009
Thunderstorms developed and moved across Lake Michigan during the evening hours on June 19th. Several hours of intense rainfall occurred starting around 7:00 PM EST. The ground was already saturated from early morning thunderstorms that produced very heavy rainfall. In addition to the heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes accompanied the thunderstorms.
Flood — Dec 27, 2008
Most of southwestern lower Michigan had a substantial snowpack on the ground on Christmas Day. Most if not all of that snowpack melted as a result of warm temperatures, high winds and rain after Christmas. Several locations received an inch and a half to two inches of rainfall, all of which fell in only a twenty four hour time period. The flooding caused well over three million dollars worth of...
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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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.