Home › Michigan › Charlevoix County

Charlevoix County, Michigan

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
66th of 83highest risk in Michigan
$8Mexpected losses a year
6federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Charlevoix County, Michigan has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 78% of US counties. It ranks 66th of 83 counties in Michigan. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $8.1 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $311 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (3 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (severe storms, tornadoes and flooding). Only 40 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $184,000 on 10 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Charlevoix County

$3.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Cold wave

Moderate
$3.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.

Tornado

Very Low
$259,423 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 10 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low32.3
$4M
Cold waveModerate78.3
$3M
TornadoVery Low20.7
$259K
LightningLow46.7
$215K
Strong windLow21.1
$198K
HailVery Low30.9
$129K
Heat waveVery Low17.8
$51K
Winter weatherVery Low16.0
$14K
Ice stormVery Low11.7
$7K
WildfireVery Low16.2
$6K
LandslideLow68.9
$5K
HurricaneVery Low17.7
$5K
EarthquakeVery Low4.4
$4K
Coastal floodingVery Low26.4
$3K

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Charlevoix County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Drought1
Snowstorm1
Freezing1
Hurricane1
Severe Ice Storm1
Flood1

Most recent

Jun 30, 2026Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 22, 2025Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Sep 7, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
May 10, 1994Severe Deep FreezeMajor disaster
Jan 27, 1978Blizzards & SnowstormsEmergency
Mar 2, 1977DroughtEmergency

Michigan also had 6 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 82 storm reports in Charlevoix County since 1955 and about $314,000 in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on July 31, 1977.

4tornadoes
34hail reports, largest 3 inches
42damaging thunderstorm winds
1floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jul 31, 1977F2–0 / 0
Jun 19, 1955F1–0 / 0
Aug 1, 2002F1Boyne City0 / 0
Aug 21, 1989F0–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 30, 2013Thunderstorm WindHorton Bay$75K
Aug 26, 2003Thunderstorm WindCountywide$45K
Jul 8, 2016HailEast Jordan$45K
Mar 28, 2025Thunderstorm WindEast Jordan$40K
May 31, 2011Thunderstorm WindEast Jordan$20K
Apr 18, 2002Thunderstorm WindEast Jordan$15K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 1, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Charlevoix County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (40 policies)
13%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$184,329paid on 10 flood claims since 1978
2020costliest year, with $83,023 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Charlevoix County

$276,800median home value (Michigan $231,600, US $332,700)
1982median year homes were built (Michigan 1972, US 1980)
47%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
8.1%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 17,640 housing units.

Compare in Michigan

All 83 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Wayne CountyHighInland flooding
Oakland CountyHighInland flooding
Macomb CountyHighInland flooding
Kent CountyModerateInland flooding
Genesee CountyModerateInland flooding
Washtenaw CountyModerateInland flooding
Ottawa CountyModerateInland flooding
Ingham CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Emmet CountyVery Low5
Cheboygan CountyLow6
Otsego CountyVery Low5
Antrim CountyVery Low5
Leelanau CountyLow3
Mackinac CountyVery Low5
Schoolcraft CountyVery Low4

Common questions about Charlevoix County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Charlevoix County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Charlevoix County, about $3.9 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $3.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Charlevoix County had?

Charlevoix County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 3 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding in June 2026.

Is Charlevoix County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 66th highest of 83 in Michigan. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Charlevoix County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Charlevoix County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Charlevoix County had?

NOAA records list 4 tornadoes in Charlevoix County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on July 31, 1977. The weather service has also logged 34 hail reports and 1 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.