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Natural hazard risk in Oakland County, Michigan

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 97.5 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$359.1 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1975
12[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$5.5 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
36[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk in Oakland County, Michigan, Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a Risk Index score of 97.5[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are tornado, ice storm and cold wave, all rated Very High[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Oakland County at $359.1 million a year, rated Relatively High[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly economic loss, not money anyone paid, and it does not predict next year's losses[7]. Inland flooding carries the largest hazard estimate at $164.9 million a year[8], followed by tornado at $102.1 million[9] and cold wave at $55.4 million[10]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability in the county Very Low (score 16.5)[11] and Community Resilience Very High (score 90.4)[12] compared with other US counties. FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[12].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
TornadoVery High$102.1 million[9]
Ice StormVery High$5.5 million[13]
Cold WaveVery High$55.4 million[10]
Strong WindVery High$9.0 million[14]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$164.9 million[8]
Heat WaveRelatively High$13.4 million[15]
HailRelatively Moderate$3.0 million[16]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$557,000[17]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$4.0 million[18]
LightningRelatively High$1.0 million[19]
LandslideRelatively Low$16,000[20]
WildfireVery Low$93,000[21]
HurricaneVery Low$99,000[22]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[23].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery Low16.5[11]
Community resilienceVery High90.4[12]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Oakland County Relatively High, with a score of 97.4 out of 100[8]. OpenFEMA data show 1,096 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 0.3% of residential structures, and 20.9% inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area[24]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026 counts 582 claims, 317 with a payment, and $5.5 million paid by the program in total[3].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[8] Relatively High, $164.9 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[24] 1,096 of 428,953 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[24] 1,809, of which 378 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 582 filed, $5.5 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[25]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 12 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Oakland County since 1975, of which 8 were major disaster declarations[2]. The most recent is DR-4757-MI, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding, declared 2024-02-08[26]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 36 tornadoes that touched the county from 1950 to 2024, with the strongest rated F4 and the most recent on 2024-11-10[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Oakland County, since 1975
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 5
Flood[2] 3
Snowstorm[2] 3
Hurricane[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4757-MI[26] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2024-02-08
DR-4607-MI[26] Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes 2021-07-15
DR-4195-MI[26] Severe Storms And Flooding 2014-09-25
EM-3225-MI[26] Hurricane Katrina Evacuation 2005-09-07
DR-1527-MI[26] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2004-06-30

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is Oakland County, Michigan at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Oakland County Relatively High compared with other US counties, with an Expected Annual Loss of $164.9 million a year[8]. OpenFEMA NFIP data count 582 flood claims for losses from 1978 to 2026[3].
How often do tornadoes hit Oakland County?
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 36 tornadoes that touched Oakland County from 1950 to 2024, 5 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk in the county Very High compared with other US counties[9].
Is Oakland County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Oakland County Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with a modeled annual frequency of 0.0008 events per year[18].
How many federal disasters have been declared in Oakland County?
OpenFEMA lists 12 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Oakland County since 1975[2]. By incident type, 5 were for severe storms, 3 for floods, 3 for snowstorms and 1 for a hurricane[2].
How can I check if a home in Oakland County is in a flood zone?
Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, the official public source for flood maps, or ask the local floodplain manager[25]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[25].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Oakland County is $359.1 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 98.2). Of this, buildings account for $229.7 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $129.3... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 12 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Oakland County since 1975 (8 major disaster, 4 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 5, flood 3, snowstorm 3, hurricane 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other non-natural... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 582 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Oakland County, 317 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $5.5 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 36 recorded tornadoes touched Oakland County. The strongest were rated F4 (most recent of them on 1976-03-20). 5 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-11-10. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Oakland County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 97.5 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Oakland County are tornado (99.7, Very High), ice storm (99.4, Very High), cold wave (99.2, Very High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's scores compare... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $164.9 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.07 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $102.1 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.39 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $55.4 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 2.63 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Oakland County is Very Low (score 16.5). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Oakland County is Very High (score 90.4). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5.5 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 1.81 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $9.0 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 5.46 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13.4 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 4.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 93.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.77 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 91.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $557,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 11.84 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 86.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0008 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 83.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 34.76 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 78.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 58.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $93,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Oakland County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 51.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $99,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic Basin... FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Oakland County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  24. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 1,096 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Oakland County, out of 428,953 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.3%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 1,809 residential structures and 378 contracts, a... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  25. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  26. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets 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). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.