Natural disaster risk in Lake County, Michigan
Michigan · population 12,084 · FIPS 26085
Overall: very low risk
Lake County has a composite risk score of 22.0 out of 100 — higher than 22% of US counties. It ranks 67 of 83 in Michigan (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, strong wind, landslide.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Lake County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 12 weeks in a row.
Drought in Lake 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 |
| Expected annual loss About $5.0 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 13.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 90.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 20.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Lake County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 79 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 69 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 40 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 39 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 37 |
| Wildfire | Very low 43 |
| Tornado | Very low 23 |
| Heat wave | Very low 21 |
| Ice storm | Very low 21 |
| Hurricane | Very low 14 |
| Earthquake | Very low 12 |
| Hail | Very low 9 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Lake County
Federal declarations that designated Lake County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Lake 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 | 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 Lake County, Michigan?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Lake County as very low, with a score of 22.0 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 Lake County?
The hazards rated highest for Lake County are winter weather (relatively moderate), strong wind (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Lake County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Lake County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Lake County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Lake 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 Lake County in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Lake County is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for 12 weeks in a row.
Every county in Michigan, ranked · All states · Disasters near me