FEMA Records
12
Low volume
Michigan · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Sanilac County, MI
12 FEMA disaster declarations (1973-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Snowstorm.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 70
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Snowstorm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Sanilac County. Its 12 FEMA declarations are 20% above the Michigan county mean and exceed the count for 14% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 30%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 30%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 12
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 14
- 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 Sanilac County compare?
Sanilac County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
12 14th percentile higher than 14% 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
Sanilac County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Michigan county average
What does Sanilac County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 70.3/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $22.8M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3 times per year here, based on 57 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 12 entries for Sanilac County, including 7 Major Disaster records, 20% above the Michigan county mean. Across the 47-year span, that works out to 0.3 declarations a year. Snowstorm leads the file with 3 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 14 claims and $112.8K 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.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Sanilac County's 12 federal records stand 20% above the Michigan county mean of 10.0. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
52 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Sanilac 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) Moderate
9/30
12 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
15/25
12 declarations (1.2x state county average of 10)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
7 of 12 declarations are major disasters (58%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Sanilac County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Michigan Avg
+20%
State avg: 10.0
vs. National Avg
-42%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 47 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Sanilac 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
58%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
70
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Sanilac 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 3 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 14 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 1.6 times per year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 43 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 1.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,795 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 8 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 30 times per year |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 71 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 66,450 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 3
Snowstorm 3
Flood 3
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
What Snowstorm declarations mean here
Snowstorm is the most frequent declaration type on Sanilac County's record, 25% 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).
Major Disaster - 7 58.3%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 5 41.7%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1985 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 12 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 12 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 |
| 3225 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-07 |
| 1527 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-30 |
| 3160 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2001-01-10 |
| 1128 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-07-23 |
| 774 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-09-18 |
| 744 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1985-09-18 |
| 3057 | BLIZZARDS & SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1978-01-27 |
| 3030 | SNOWSTORMS | EM | Snowstorm | 1977-02-05 |
| 495 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, ICING & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1976-03-19 |
| 371 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-04-12 |
Storm Events in Michigan
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Sanilac 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
14
Total Paid
$112.8K
Avg Per Claim
$8.1K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 70.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$22.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Wildfire 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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
For Sanilac County the two measures on this page point the same way: Cold Wave is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively High), and Snowstorm declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
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
Sanilac County's closest FEMA peer: Assumption Parish, LA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Sanilac County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Sanilac County: NRI composite 70.3 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Sanilac County: 7 of 12 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Sanilac County shows 12 FEMA declarations, led by Snowstorm.
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 Sanilac County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 12 FEMA declarations, Sanilac County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Sanilac County?
The most common disaster type in Sanilac County is Snowstorm, with 3 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (3), Flood (3), Biological (2).
How does Sanilac County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Michigan average?
FEMA lists 12 declaration records for Sanilac County. That is 20% above the Michigan county mean of 10.0. Its count is also 42% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Sanilac County received?
Sanilac County has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 58% of all 12 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Sanilac County filed?
Sanilac County has 14 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $112.8K in payments, with an average of $8.1K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Sanilac County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Sanilac County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1973 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Sanilac County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Sanilac County, Michigan has an overall risk score of 70.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively High; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $22.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Sanilac County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Sanilac County as of the latest release is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively High) and Ice Storm (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 3 times per year, drawn from 57 historical events on record. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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 Sanilac County
Sanilac County, MI has 12 federal declaration records, 20% more than the Michigan county mean of 10; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 7 of 12 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Michigan overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Michigan mean and the totals for 14% of 3,266 U.S. counties. 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
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
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.