Oakland County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Oakland County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.5 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, ice storm, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,239 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Very High | 99.7 | $102M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.4 | $5.5M |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.3 | $55M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.9 | $9.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.5 | $165M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.4 | $13M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.5 | $557K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.2 | $1.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.8 | $3.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.7 | $4.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 78.3 | $16K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 58.1 | $93K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 51.0 | $99K |
| Drought | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 725 | 2 | $19M | 7th of 83 | 588th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 241 | 0 | $31M | 5th of 83 | 1075th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 2 | $191M | 82nd of 83 | 1784th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 3 | $84M | 12th of 83 | 826th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 40 | 1 | $3.8M | 2nd of 83 | 155th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 37 | 1 | $509M | 10th of 83 | 1804th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 3 | $225M | 15th of 83 | 1144th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 18 | 5 | – | 11th of 83 | 980th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 5 | $1.7M | 28th of 83 | 1154th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $1.7M | 14th of 83 | 1565th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 21st of 83 | 2373rd of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Oakland County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.