Iron County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Iron County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 55.1 of 100, higher than 55% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave. Its storm record holds 425 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.2 | $10.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | $497K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $41K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 40.2 | $115K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 26.7 | $182K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.3 | $23K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 25.7 | $2.1M |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.7 | $8K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.7 | $139K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 17.4 | $60 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 11.4 | $4K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 9.9 | $13K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 1.3 | $879 |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 169 | 1 | $1.2M | 43rd of 83 | 1042nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 83 | 0 | $407K | 76th of 83 | 2575th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $7.0M | 72nd of 83 | 2612th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 61 | 2 | – | 3rd of 83 | 457th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 14 | 0 | $5.8M | 57th of 83 | 2683rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | – | 11th of 83 | 1046th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 0 | $348K | 70th of 83 | 2555th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $3.7M | 83rd of 83 | 2549th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 31st of 83 | 1949th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $91K | 58th of 83 | 2008th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Iron County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.