Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Houghton County, MI

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
26061
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Expired on 2025-06-16. Plan: Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385), approved 2020-06-17.

Since the plan was approved on 2020-06-17: no new federal declaration.

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 199 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($6,533,054 a year), Cold Wave ($2,443,146) and Winter Weather ($346,333).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 1.

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Expired on 2025-06-16
Plan:
Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)
Approved:
2020-06-17
Days since expiry:
471
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

Until a new plan is approved, FEMA mitigation project grants (HMGP, FMA) need a FEMA exception (44 CFR 201.6(a)(3)).

What changed since your last plan (approved 2020-06-17)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
199 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 1
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county: 22 rows, in the section "Plan clock: Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county" on the following pages.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Plan clock

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Houghton CountyCountyExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Calumet villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2023-01-23
Copper City villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Hancock cityCityExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2021-02-08
Houghton cityCityExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2023-01-23
Lake Linden villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Laurium villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
South Range villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Adams townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2023-03-20
Calumet charter townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2023-06-09
Chassell townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Duncan townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Elm River townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Franklin townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Laird townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Osceola townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Portage charter townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471this jurisdiction approved 2023-07-05
Quincy townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Schoolcraft townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Stanton townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
Torch Lake townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16Houghton County HMP Update (FEMA plan 106385)2020-06-172025-06-16-471
MTUCollege/UniversityApproved, expires 2030-04-29Michigan Technological University HMP 2025 (FEMA plan 110426)2025-04-302030-04-291,307

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$6,523,215$21$9,818$6,533,05428
2Cold WaveRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$404$4,121$2,438,621$2,443,14645Includes 10 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
3Winter WeatherRelatively HighRelatively High$18,096$100$328,137$346,333511Includes 1 Sleet record (outside NRI's Winter Weather definition).
4LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$8,032n/a$218,352$226,3842
5HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$213,406$607$4,552$218,56666
6Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$61,018$33,411$99,995$194,424160Includes 51 High Wind and 6 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
7TornadoVery LowVery Low$12,343$21$21,264$33,6270No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
8Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$142under $1$24,691$24,8346
9WildfireVery LowVery Low$10,011$6$1,281$11,2981
10DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$5,204n/a$5,2040Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
11Ice StormVery LowVery Low$1,523n/a$2,548$4,0705
12LandslideVery LowVery Low$35n/a$61$960Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
13Coastal FloodingVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/a$0under $10No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14EarthquakeNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0n/a$0$0Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
15HurricaneNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0$0$0$00No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
TsunamiInsufficient DataInsufficient Datan/an/an/an/a0No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide and tsunami records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Coastal Flooding and Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquakeno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 10 (Very Low, 73.4); tract 7 (Very Low, 73.2); tract 5 (Very Low, 65.7)
Tornadotract 10 (Very Low, 21.7); tract 8 (Very Low, 9.8); tract 7 (Very Low, 8.6)
Tsunamino tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Wildfiretract 10 (Relatively Low, 77.9); tract 1 (Relatively Low, 74.3); tract 7 (Very Low, 68.6)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 10 is Census Tract 10). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)0Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill35 records, 1996 to 2026 (35 zone-level)1 day to 7 days (median 2 days); 28 with a recorded value7 consecutive days, 2019-01-26 to 2019-02-01, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage10 records, 2006 to 2013 (10 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 10 records.Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)78 records, 1971 to 20240.75 in to 2.75 in (median 0.94 in); 78 with a recorded value2.75 in hail, 1992-03-06Hail, 2007-07-08, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Calumet charter township (7 records), Calumet village (7 records), Chassell township (5 records), Houghton city (5 records), Hancock city (2 records), Laurium village (2 records), South Range village (2 records), Copper City village (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)6 records, 2006 to 2025 (6 zone-level)1 day to 2 days (median 1 day); 6 with a recorded value2 consecutive days, 2022-06-20 to 2022-06-21, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)5 records, 1999 to 2023 (5 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2022-03-22, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2022 dollars); NWS zone MIZ003Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)28 records, 2002 to 2026 (4 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2018-06-17, $100,000,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars), 1 direct deathEvent records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Chassell township (7 records), Copper City village (1 record), Osceola township (1 record). Zone-level records (4) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)2 records, 2011 to 2013Lightning, 2011-05-11, $20,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Calumet charter township (1 record), Calumet village (1 record), Laurium village (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)57 records, 1998 to 2026 (57 zone-level)44 kt (51 mph) to 65 kt (75 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 57 with a recorded value65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2007-11-27; NWS zone MIZ003High Wind, 1998-11-11, $25,000 property; $1,000,000 crops, reported for the zone (1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)123 records, 1959 to 202650 kt (58 mph) to 83 kt (96 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 112 with a recorded value83 kt (96 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2020-07-18Thunderstorm Wind, 2016-07-21, $80,000 property; $0 crops (2016 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Houghton city (11 records), Laurium village (8 records), Calumet charter township (6 records), Calumet village (6 records), Lake Linden village (6 records), Chassell township (5 records), Hancock city (5 records), Osceola township (2 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)1 record, 1987F/EF0; 1 with a recorded valueF0 tornado, 1987-07-11, 5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 23 yd wide, $2,500 property; crops not recorded (1987 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Tsunaminone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)1 record, 2022 (1 zone-level)Wildfire, 2022-05-09, $200,000 property; $0 crops (2022 dollars); NWS zone MIZ084Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)511 records, 1996 to 2026 (511 zone-level)Winter Weather, 2017-04-26, $50,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars); NWS zone MIZ003Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 9 declarations covering 6 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2020-03-272020-01-20DR-4494-MIMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3455-MIEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approvalsame incident as DR-4494
2018-08-022018-06-16DR-4381-MIMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide$24,112,632.77
2013-06-182013-04-16DR-4121-MIMajor disasterFloodingInland Flooding$366,916.03
2005-09-072005-08-29EM-3225-MIEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2002-05-062002-04-10DR-1413-MIMajor disasterFloodingInland Flooding$235,933.32
1994-05-101994-01-10DR-1028-MIMajor disasterSevere Deep FreezeCold Waveno Public Assistance recorded
1978-01-271978-01-27EM-3057-MIEmergencyBlizzards & SnowstormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1977-03-021977-03-02EM-3035-MIEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1956-04-051956-04-05DR-53-MIMajor disasterTornadoTornado
1953-06-091953-06-09DR-6-MIMajor disasterTornadoTornado
1953-06-021953-06-02DR-4-MIMajor disasterTornadoTornado

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Coastal Flooding0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave451017101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 10 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail78722001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave6505001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm5303001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding2813011301996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Lightning2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind18043528001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 51 High Wind and 6 Strong Wind records.
Tornado1000001950 to 2026-06-30
Tsunami0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire1101001996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather5111171799101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Sleet record.

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2022-06-20Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ003 (NORTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2022-05-09Wildfire$200,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ084 (SOUTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2022-03-22Ice Storm$10,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2022 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ003 (NORTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2020-07-18Thunderstorm Wind83 kt (96 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; $0 crops (2020 dollars)0, 0HISULAnew since last planB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2019-01-26Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2019 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ084 (SOUTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2018-06-17Flash Flood$100,000,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)1, 0ALCONE to TOIVOLAdeaths or injuries recorded
2017-04-26Winter Weather$50,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ003 (NORTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2011-05-11Lightning$20,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)0, 0CALUMETB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2007-11-27High Wind65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust$3,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone MIZ003 (NORTHERN HOUGHTON), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2007-07-08Hail1.75 in$10,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)0, 0TWIN LAKESB1-c most damaging: Hail
1992-03-06Hail2.75 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Hail
1987-07-11TornadoF0, 5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 23 yd wide$2,500 property; crops not recorded (1987 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (857 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Coastal Flooding0.00000000395events per year at a location (modeled)about 0.0000000039 per year at a given location in the countyStorm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Cold Wave2.72event-days per yearabout 2.72 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 15 of 30 years)event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)35.22005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought2.49event-days per yearabout 2.49 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)772000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.000086annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0086%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.646events per yearabout 0.65 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)24.9 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave0.248event-days per yearabout 0.248 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 4 of 30 years)event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)3.212005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.00389events per yearabout 1 in 257 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)21851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.0149event-days per yearabout 0.0149 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 4 of 30 years)event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)01946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.75event-days per yearabout 0.75 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 15 of 30 years)event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)211996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.271events per year (modeled)about 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning21.6days per year with a strikeabout 21.6 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.801events per yearabout 0.8 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)221986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0507events per yearabout 1 in 20 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Tsunamiannual probability at the most exposed location (used in place of a county value)Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Wildfire0.000324annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0324%Possible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather35.3event-days per yearabout 35.3 days per yearHighly likely (from Storm Events: 30 of 30 years)event-days in 30 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (100%)4562005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202528300.933
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202582302.73
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202516300.533
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20250300
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Coastal Flooding6 of 1068.068.268.4Very Low 6, No Rating 4
Cold Wave10 of 1078.783.293.9Relatively High 10
Drought3 of 1073.676.884.9Relatively Low 1, Very Low 2, No Rating 7
Earthquake0 of 10No Rating 10
Hail10 of 1060.166.881.5Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 7
Heat Wave10 of 102.93.25.4Very Low 10
Hurricane0 of 10No Rating 10
Ice Storm10 of 103.23.98.0Very Low 10
Inland Flooding10 of 1017.550.877.5Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 4
Landslide10 of 1013.747.873.4Very Low 10
Lightning10 of 1059.167.087.7Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 9
Strong Wind10 of 1037.145.478.9Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 7
Tornado10 of 104.35.621.7Very Low 10
Tsunami0 of 10Insufficient Data 10
Wildfire10 of 1024.963.177.9Relatively Low 2, Very Low 8
Winter Weather10 of 1094.595.798.9Very High 4, Relatively High 6

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Houghton CountyCountyExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Calumet villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded14 total; 1 since its plan
Copper City villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded2 total; 0 since its plan
Hancock cityCityExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$2,455,399.427 total; 0 since its plan
Houghton cityCityExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$1,659,641.7516 total; 2 since its plan
Lake Linden villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$913,281.566 total; 0 since its plan
Laurium villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded11 total; 0 since its plan
South Range villageVillageExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$56,321.532 total; 0 since its plan
Adams townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Calumet charter townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16no Public Assistance recorded14 total; 1 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.
Chassell townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1no Public Assistance recorded17 total; 9 since its plan
Duncan townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Elm River townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Franklin townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$2,627,553.980 total; 0 since its plan
Laird townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Osceola townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$102,926.353 total; 1 since its plan
Portage charter townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$11,396.700 total; 0 since its plan
Quincy townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Schoolcraft townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Stanton townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$243,767.280 total; 0 since its plan
Torch Lake townshipTownshipExpired on 2025-06-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$652,546.480 total; 0 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2020-06-17county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Coastal Flooding$331,831,679n/a0under $1n/a$0under 0.0001%
Cold Wave$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$404$4,121$2,438,621under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$2,467,518n/an/a$5,204n/a0.211% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$15,276,330,245n/a37,361$0n/a$00%
Hail$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$213,406$607$4,5520.00247%$0
Heat Wave$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$142under $1$24,691under 0.0001%$0
Hurricane$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$0$0$00%
Ice Storm$8,623,650,222n/a37,342$1,523n/a$2,548under 0.0001%$10,000
Inland Flooding$8,607,233,421$4,06729$6,523,215$21$9,818n/a (see note)$24,290,000NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$222,362,350n/a1,327$35n/a$61under 0.0001%
Lightning$8,623,650,222n/a37,342$8,032n/a$218,352under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$61,018$33,411$99,9950.000708%$99,500$73,000Storm Events damage since the plan includes 3 zone-level High Wind records ($73,000): a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$12,343$21$21,2640.000143%
Tsunamin/an/an/an/an/an/aNRI publishes no building exposure for this county
Wildfire$825,234,784$1,995,2005,069$10,011$6$1,2810.00121%$200,000
Winter Weather$8,623,650,222$8,125,51737,342$18,096$100$328,1370.00021%$57,000

Totals since 2020-06-17 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 42 county-coded records, 42 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $24,389,500; 157 zone-level records, 150 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $340,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population37,342
Building value (total, not at risk)$8,623,650,222
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$8,125,517
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$6,891,715
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$3,149,320
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition1Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0010100
of which: Chassell township0010100
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0040400

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Houghton County2615420000000
Calumet village2615810000000
Copper City village2616040000000
Hancock city2600870000000
Houghton city2605680000000
Lake Linden village2604120000000
Laurium village2616030000000
South Range village2606120000000
Adams township2615980000000
Chassell township2604110010100
Duncan township2616010000000
Elm River township2615990000000
Franklin township2615820000000
Laird township2616000000000
Osceola township2604130000000
Portage charter township2615970000000
Quincy township2616050000000
Schoolcraft township2616020000000
Stanton township2615960000000
Torch Lake township2607080000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0010100
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0000000
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 1 property is NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

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).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Houghton County, MI: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 26061). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/mi/26061/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.