Natural disaster risk in Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Michigan · population 95,178 · FIPS 26055
Overall: relatively low risk
Grand Traverse County has a composite risk score of 65.6 out of 100 — higher than 65% of US counties. It ranks 29 of 83 in Michigan (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, cold wave, lightning.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Grand Traverse County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 34 weeks in a row.
Drought in Grand Traverse 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. |
Relatively low 65.6 |
| Expected annual loss About $31.2 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 73.2 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very low 16.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 96.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Grand Traverse County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Very high 97 |
| Cold wave | Relatively high 95 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 66 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 58 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 78 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 57 |
| Hail | Relatively low 53 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 43 |
| Heat wave | Very low 33 |
| Coastal flooding | Very low 32 |
| Wildfire | Very low 31 |
| Hurricane | Very low 18 |
| Earthquake | Very low 15 |
| Ice storm | Very low 9 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Grand Traverse County
Federal declarations that designated Grand Traverse County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Grand Traverse County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration 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 |
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 Grand Traverse County, Michigan?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Grand Traverse County as relatively low, with a score of 65.6 out of 100 (higher than 65% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Grand Traverse County?
The hazards rated highest for Grand Traverse County are winter weather (very high), cold wave (relatively high), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Grand Traverse County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Grand Traverse County as relatively low, and coastal flooding risk as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Grand Traverse County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Grand Traverse County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4925-MI (Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding), declared 30 Jun 2026.
Is Grand Traverse County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Grand Traverse County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 34 weeks in a row.
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