133 flood insurance claims·$1.0M paid·4 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 Tuscola 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 dominates Tuscola County's historical flood profile, accounting for 17 of the 23 total recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside three lakeshore flood events and three flash flood events. Strong winds and heavy rain have driven notable recent impacts, such as a January 2020 winter storm that caused significant lakeshore flooding and erosion along the shoreline, and thunderstorms in May 2019 that dropped over four inches of rain in southwest Tuscola County, resulting in road washouts and over $4.5 million in damage.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that risk varies significantly by zone. Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A should pay the closest attention, as this zone accounts for the majority of historical claims (84 claims with an average payout of $10,887 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches). Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED also warrant careful review by buyers and owners, as four claims averaged $29,462 with an average recorded water depth of 26 inches, while Zone UNKNOWN, Zone X_SHADED, and Zone X represent lower average payout and water depth frequencies.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Tuscola County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
103 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 4 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 54 claims and $470,381 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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Tuscola County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Michigan flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 11, 2000 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jun 21, 1996 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Sep 10, 1986 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 5, 1985 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 27, 1978 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Icing & Flooding | Mar 19, 1976 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Apr 12, 1973 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
23 since 1996: 3 flash floods, 17 river or area floods and 3 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | — |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 31, 2019 | — |
| Flood | May 25, 2019 | $4.2M |
| Lakeshore Flood | Oct 16, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Nov 1, 2019 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2013 | $250,000 |
| Flood | Apr 28, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Sep 14, 2008 | $75,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
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…
Lakeshore Flood · Oct 31, 2019. High water levels over Lake Huron and northeast to north winds of 30-40 MPH produced large waves resulting in lakeshore flooding across Bay, Tuscola, and Huron Counties. The water level at Essexville peaked at 71.3 inches above chart datum. Shoreline erosion was reported at Port Hope.
Flood · May 25, 2019. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain, with 1 to 4 inches reported, generally along and north of I-69. Locations across southeast Saginaw and southwest Tuscola counties saw the heaviest rain, just over 4 inches which caused significant flooding, resulting in at least 4.5 million dollars of damage. Numerous roads around Frankenmuth were flooded, but most of the road washouts and damage occurred across the county line i…
Lakeshore Flood · Oct 16, 2019. Strong and prolonged northwest winds around 35 mph generated large waves over Saginaw Bay and southern Lake Huron. These higher waves and elevated water levels caused significant lakeshore flooding. Flooding to homes and roads were reported in Harbor Beach, Caseville, and Sebewaing. Erosion of the shoreline occurred at Port Crescent State Park. Finally, significant erosion and damage to seawalls reported in Lakep…
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 Tuscola 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.