FEMA Records
8
Low volume
Michigan · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Ontonagon County, MI
8 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 8
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 4
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Ontonagon County: 8 FEMA declaration records are 20% below the Michigan county mean, even though the count is higher than 6% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks safer than 4%.
- Safer than 4%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 8
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 9
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Ontonagon County compare?
Ontonagon County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
8 6th percentile higher than 6% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Ontonagon County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Michigan county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Ontonagon County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $1.3M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Winter Weather carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Ontonagon County's hazard record show?
Declaration frequency
The state comparison is the clearest context for Ontonagon County's moderate federal record. Its 8 declarations sit 20% below the Michigan county mean, with 4 Major Disaster entries among them. 2 records concern Biological, the file's most frequent incident type. Spread across 43 years, the registry rate is 0.2 per year. FEMA reports authorized programs separately from the DR, EM, and FM codes.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 4.2/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $2.4M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile and Relatively High community resilience. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Winter Weather, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 39 times per year here, based on 738 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 9 claims and $4.7K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a Michigan county averages 10.0 federal declaration records, while Ontonagon County has 8. The gap is 20% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
44 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Ontonagon County, MI · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
6/30
8 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.4x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
10/25
8 declarations (0.8x state county average of 10)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
4 of 8 declarations are major disasters (50%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Ontonagon County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
Moderate
vs. Michigan Avg
-20%
State avg: 10.0
vs. National Avg
-61%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.2
Over 43 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Ontonagon County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
50%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
4
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Ontonagon County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 39 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 4.1 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 1,182 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 24 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 2.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 90,027,827 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 7 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Earthquake | No Rating | roughly once every 10,753 years |
| Hurricane | No Rating | roughly once every 4,571 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Flood 2
Hurricane 1
Freezing 1
Snowstorm 1
Drought 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Ontonagon County's record, 25% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Ontonagon County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 50.0%
of all 8 declarations
Emergency - 4 50.0%
of all 8 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 8 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 8 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4494 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-27 |
| 3455 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4121 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-06-18 |
| 3225 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1413 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2002-05-06 |
| 1028 | SEVERE DEEP FREEZE | DR | Freezing | 1994-05-10 |
| 3057 | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1978-01-27 |
| 3035 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-03-02 |
Storm Events in Michigan
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Ontonagon County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,010 | 10 | 18 | $173.8M |
| Winter Storm | 1,486 | 3 | 11 | $41.8M |
| Winter Weather | 1,254 | 21 | 38 | $892.0K |
| Hail | 962 | 0 | 0 | $77.1M |
| High Wind | 389 | 3 | 2 | $668.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
9
Total Paid
$4.7K
Avg Per Claim
$517
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 4.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$2.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Hail Very Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Earthquake No Rating
Hurricane No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Winter Weather
Winter Weather in the model means the accumulation of snow and cold that disrupts rather than destroys: road closures, roof loads, burst pipes and lost heating. Its costs land heavily on transport and on households least able to absorb an interruption.
Worth noting for Ontonagon County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Winter Weather carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Low), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Ontonagon County's closest FEMA peer: Archuleta County, CO
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Ontonagon County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Ontonagon County shows 8 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Ontonagon County: 4 of 8 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Ontonagon County: NRI composite 4.2 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Ontonagon County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Winter Weather as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively Low); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Ontonagon County?
The most common disaster type in Ontonagon County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (2), Hurricane (1), Freezing (1).
How does Ontonagon County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Michigan average?
The typical Michigan county has 10.0 FEMA declaration records; Ontonagon County has 8, or 20% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 61% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Ontonagon County received?
Ontonagon County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 8 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Ontonagon County filed?
Ontonagon County has 9 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $4.7K in payments, with an average of $517 per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Ontonagon County?
No. In Ontonagon County, Winter Weather has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $1.3M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Ontonagon County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Ontonagon County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Ontonagon County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Ontonagon County, Michigan has an overall risk score of 4.2 out of 100 (Very Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $2.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Ontonagon County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Ontonagon County is Winter Weather (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Cold Wave (Relatively Low) and Wildfire (Very Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts winter weather here at an average of 39 times per year, drawn from 738 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Ontonagon County
Against a Michigan county mean of 10 declarations, Ontonagon County, MI records 8, or 20% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as moderate activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (4 of 8) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Michigan overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 6% of recorded county totals, but its own Michigan benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- A short NFIP claims file cannot establish low flood exposure; the data guide explains the limits of each federal measure. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.