FEMA Records
7
Low volume
Michigan · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Otsego County, MI
7 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Snowstorm.
- 7
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 18
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Snowstorm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Otsego County: 7 FEMA declaration records are 30% below the Michigan county mean, even though the count is higher than 4% 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 18%.
- Safer than 18%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 7
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 2
- biological declarations, the most common hazard here
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 26137 · Otsego County 7 declarations · rank 3103/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-LIGHT · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 7
- MAJOR-LIGHT 29%
- RANK-LOWER #3,103
- PHOTO-FINISH Clinton
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Snowstorm
- VS-ST-BELOW -30%
Nearest declaration peer: Clinton, IL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Michigan state profile
Otsego County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Otsego County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Clinton · near 7
Clinton · near
7 declarations
- Lea · near 7
Lea · near
7 declarations
- Marinette · near 7
Marinette · near
7 declarations
- Otsego · this county 7
Otsego · this county
7 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Otsego County carries 7 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3103 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Otsego County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Otsego County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Otsego County
7 4th percentile higher than 4% 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 · 2026-08-25
Otsego County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Otsego County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $3.8M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Hail 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 Otsego County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county's FEMA National Risk Index composite lands at 18.4/100 (Very Low), a modest reading against the rest of the country. Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $7.6M in annualized losses), tempered or compounded by a Relatively Low social-vulnerability score and Relatively High community-resilience score. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Hail, 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 roughly once every 1 years here, based on 37 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
No paid-claim row for this county appears in the NFIP county table used by PlainHazard. That absence is not evidence that flooding never occurred: the register observes claims under federal flood-insurance policies, not uninsured losses, emergency reports, or every flood outside the program. The FEMA declaration history below is therefore the available federal-action record on this page.
Start with the state benchmark: a Michigan county averages 10.0 federal declaration records, while Otsego County has 7. The gap is 30% 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.
34 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Otsego 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
5/30
7 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
7 declarations (0.7x state county average of 10)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
7/25
2 of 7 declarations are major disasters (29%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Otsego County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Otsego 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
29%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
18
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Otsego 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 7 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 25 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 1.7 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 3,804 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 28 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 13 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 33 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 3,344 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 13 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Snowstorm 2
Severe Ice Storm 1
Hurricane 1
Drought 1
What Snowstorm declarations mean here
Snowstorm is the most frequent declaration type on Otsego County's record, 29% of its declarations. Snow-related declarations work on a narrower basis than most other hazards: they are generally issued to reimburse the cost of snow removal and emergency protective measures, rather than to repair destroyed property.
The qualifying test is unusual too. FEMA assesses snowfall against record levels for the affected area, so the same storm total can qualify in a county where it is historically extreme and not qualify a few hundred miles north where it is an ordinary winter. A low snowstorm declaration count is therefore not evidence of mild winters.
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).
Emergency - 5 71.4%
of all 7 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 28.6%
of all 7 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 7 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 7 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4880 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2025-07-22 |
| 4494 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-27 |
| 3455 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3225 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 3137 | MI - SEVERE WEATHER 1/2 /99 | EM | Snowstorm | 1999-01-27 |
| 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 Otsego 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
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 18.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$7.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Drought 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: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
Worth noting for Otsego County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Hail carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Low), while the county's declaration history is led by Snowstorm. 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
Otsego County's closest FEMA peer: Roosevelt County, NM
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Otsego County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Otsego County shows 7 FEMA declarations, led by Snowstorm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Otsego County: 2 of 7 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Otsego County: NRI composite 18.4 (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 Otsego County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Otsego County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 18.4 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 7. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Hail 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Otsego County?
The most common disaster type in Otsego County is Snowstorm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Severe Ice Storm (1), Hurricane (1).
How does Otsego County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Michigan average?
The typical Michigan county has 10.0 FEMA declaration records; Otsego County has 7, or 30% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 66% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Otsego County received?
Otsego County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 29% of all 7 disaster declarations.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Otsego County?
No. In Otsego County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Low), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $3.8M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Otsego County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Otsego County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Otsego County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Otsego County, Michigan has an overall risk score of 18.4 out of 100 (Very Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Low; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $7.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Otsego County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Otsego County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Low) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at roughly once every 1 years, drawn from 37 historical events on record. These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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.
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Otsego County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Michigan profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events