Michigan inland flooding risk
Wayne County has the highest inland flooding risk in Michigan, scoring 99.4 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded inland flooding events across Michigan have decreased 40% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne County | 99.4 | Very High | 35 |
| 2 | Macomb County | 97.5 | Relatively High | 25 |
| 3 | Oakland County | 97.5 | Relatively High | 15 |
| 4 | Kent County | 94.8 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 5 | Genesee County | 92.6 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 6 | Saginaw County | 91.4 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 7 | Washtenaw County | 90.3 | Relatively Moderate | 7 |
| 8 | Ingham County | 88.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 9 | Ottawa County | 88 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 10 | Monroe County | 87.4 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 11 | Berrien County | 86 | Relatively Moderate | 10 |
| 12 | St. Clair County | 85.9 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 13 | Kalamazoo County | 83.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 14 | Bay County | 81.5 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 15 | Allegan County | 79.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Tuscola County | 79.2 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 17 | Cheboygan County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 18 | Muskegon County | 77.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 19 | Jackson County | 77.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Midland County | 76.9 | Relatively Moderate | 9 |
| 21 | Calhoun County | 75.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Livingston County | 74 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 23 | Eaton County | 72 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 24 | Roscommon County | 71.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 25 | Isabella County | 71.5 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 26 | Lenawee County | 71.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 27 | Lapeer County | 68.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 28 | St. Joseph County | 68.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 29 | Sanilac County | 66.2 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 30 | Huron County | 64.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 31 | Ionia County | 63.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 32 | Gratiot County | 63 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 33 | Mecosta County | 62.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 34 | Van Buren County | 62 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 35 | Montcalm County | 61.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 36 | Branch County | 60.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 37 | Delta County | 60.4 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 38 | Newaygo County | 60.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 39 | Marquette County | 59.1 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 40 | Barry County | 58.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Grand Traverse County | 58 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 42 | Manistee County | 56.9 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 43 | Hillsdale County | 56.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Cass County | 55.6 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 45 | Shiawassee County | 55.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 46 | Gladwin County | 53.9 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 47 | Emmet County | 53.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 48 | Iosco County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 49 | Clinton County | 51.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 50 | Alpena County | 51 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Clare County | 50.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Chippewa County | 49.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 53 | Wexford County | 45 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Mason County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 55 | Menominee County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 56 | Presque Isle County | 44 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Oceana County | 43.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Ogemaw County | 43.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 59 | Houghton County | 43 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 60 | Leelanau County | 42.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 61 | Alcona County | 41.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 62 | Lake County | 40.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 63 | Montmorency County | 38.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 64 | Dickinson County | 38.7 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 65 | Antrim County | 38.6 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 66 | Arenac County | 37.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 67 | Benzie County | 37.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Osceola County | 36.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Crawford County | 35.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 70 | Charlevoix County | 32.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 71 | Kalkaska County | 31.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 72 | Gogebic County | 30.2 | Very Low | 8 |
| 73 | Mackinac County | 29.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 74 | Otsego County | 29 | Very Low | 2 |
| 75 | Iron County | 25.7 | Very Low | 7 |
| 76 | Oscoda County | 25.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 77 | Schoolcraft County | 23.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 78 | Alger County | 22 | Very Low | 6 |
| 79 | Missaukee County | 21.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 80 | Luce County | 15.5 | Very Low | 1 |
| 81 | Baraga County | 13.3 | Very Low | 5 |
| 82 | Ontonagon County | 13 | Very Low | 5 |
| 83 | Keweenaw County | 5 | Very Low | 1 |
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.
Inland Flooding risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Michigan:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest inland flooding risk county in Michigan?
Wayne County, MI has the highest inland flooding risk in Michigan, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.4 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Michigan are rated Very High for inland flooding risk?
1 of 83 scored Michigan counties are rated "Very High" for inland flooding risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes inland flooding risk in Michigan?
Inland flooding covers riverine and surface (pluvial) flooding — the most common and costly natural disaster type in the US. High scores appear across river floodplains in the Midwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic, where legacy development in flood-prone areas and aging stormwater infrastructure concentrate risk.