Michigan heat wave risk
Wayne County has the highest heat wave risk in Michigan, scoring 99.3 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across Michigan have decreased 25% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne County | 99.3 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 2 | Oakland County | 97.4 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 3 | Kent County | 95.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 4 | Macomb County | 94.5 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 5 | Washtenaw County | 87.4 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 6 | Genesee County | 85.6 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 7 | Saginaw County | 77.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 8 | Monroe County | 73.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 9 | Ingham County | 72 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Berrien County | 65.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Livingston County | 64.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 12 | St. Clair County | 63.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 13 | Ottawa County | 63.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Muskegon County | 62.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Jackson County | 57.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Kalamazoo County | 57.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Shiawassee County | 55.7 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 18 | Lenawee County | 55.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 19 | Bay County | 53.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 20 | Midland County | 52 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 21 | Calhoun County | 50.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Lapeer County | 47.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 23 | Sanilac County | 45.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 24 | Allegan County | 45.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 25 | Eaton County | 45 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 26 | Van Buren County | 44.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 27 | Tuscola County | 43.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 28 | Cass County | 42.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 29 | Huron County | 41.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 30 | Hillsdale County | 38.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Isabella County | 38 | Very Low | 1 |
| 32 | Branch County | 37.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Mason County | 34.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | St. Joseph County | 33.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Grand Traverse County | 33.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 36 | Newaygo County | 33 | Very Low | 1 |
| 37 | Barry County | 32.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Montcalm County | 32.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Ionia County | 31.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Gratiot County | 31.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 41 | Oceana County | 30.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Clinton County | 29.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 43 | Mecosta County | 29 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Clare County | 26 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Wexford County | 25.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 46 | Alpena County | 24.6 | Very Low | 1 |
| 47 | Manistee County | 23.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 48 | Marquette County | 22.7 | Very Low | 6 |
| 49 | Lake County | 22 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Cheboygan County | 21.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 51 | Emmet County | 20.4 | Very Low | 1 |
| 52 | Osceola County | 20.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Iosco County | 19.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 54 | Gladwin County | 18.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 55 | Roscommon County | 18.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 56 | Charlevoix County | 17.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 57 | Otsego County | 17.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 58 | Leelanau County | 17.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 59 | Ogemaw County | 17.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 60 | Antrim County | 17 | Very Low | 1 |
| 61 | Kalkaska County | 16.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 62 | Benzie County | 16.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 63 | Presque Isle County | 15.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 64 | Menominee County | 14.8 | Very Low | 4 |
| 65 | Arenac County | 13.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 66 | Montmorency County | 13.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 67 | Dickinson County | 13 | Very Low | 4 |
| 68 | Delta County | 12.8 | Very Low | 3 |
| 69 | Alcona County | 11.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 70 | Gogebic County | 11.4 | Very Low | 4 |
| 71 | Missaukee County | 11 | Very Low | 1 |
| 72 | Crawford County | 10.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 73 | Houghton County | 10.7 | Very Low | 4 |
| 74 | Oscoda County | 10.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 75 | Iron County | 9.9 | Very Low | 4 |
| 76 | Chippewa County | 8.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 77 | Baraga County | 7.6 | Very Low | 5 |
| 78 | Ontonagon County | 5.9 | Very Low | 4 |
| 79 | Alger County | 4.8 | Very Low | 5 |
| 80 | Mackinac County | 4.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 81 | Luce County | 3.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 82 | Keweenaw County | 3.1 | Very Low | 2 |
| 83 | Schoolcraft County | 3.1 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Michigan:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in Michigan?
Wayne County, MI has the highest heat wave risk in Michigan, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.3 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes heat wave risk in Michigan?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.