Natural disaster risk in Charlevoix County, Michigan
Michigan · population 26,039 · FIPS 26029
Overall: very low risk
Charlevoix County has a composite risk score of 22.3 out of 100 — higher than 22% of US counties. It ranks 66 of 83 in Michigan (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are cold wave, landslide, lightning.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 2 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 16.8% of Charlevoix County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 2 weeks in a row.
Drought in Charlevoix County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Very low 22.3 |
| Expected annual loss About $8.1 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 26.8 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 36.8 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 98.2 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Charlevoix County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 68 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 46 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 21 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 32 |
| Hail | Very low 30 |
| Coastal flooding | Very low 26 |
| Tornado | Very low 20 |
| Heat wave | Very low 17 |
| Hurricane | Very low 17 |
| Wildfire | Very low 16 |
| Winter weather | Very low 16 |
| Ice storm | Very low 11 |
| Earthquake | Very low 4 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Charlevoix County
Federal declarations that designated Charlevoix County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Charlevoix County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4925-MI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 30 Jun 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4925-MI | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 30 Jun 2026 | Yes |
| DR-4880-MI | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm | 22 Jul 2025 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Michigan, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Charlevoix County, Michigan?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Charlevoix County as very low, with a score of 22.3 out of 100 (higher than 22% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Charlevoix County?
The hazards rated highest for Charlevoix County are cold wave (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low), lightning (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Charlevoix County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Charlevoix County as very low, and coastal flooding risk as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Charlevoix County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Charlevoix County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4925-MI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 30 Jun 2026.
Is Charlevoix County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 16.8% of Charlevoix County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 2 weeks in a row.
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