Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Pontiac Township
Pontiac Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Pontiac Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 186 claims here since 1979.
What Pontiac Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
Does Pontiac Township flood? Yes: 186 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pontiac Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Early winter storms1 claim · $4K
Pontiac Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Livingston County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Pontiac Township
Disasters that paid out in Pontiac Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Pontiac Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding8 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding476 households applied for aid$1.6M aid approved127 flood claims paid that year
- 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$2K to Pontiac Township for repairs
Livingston County has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Pontiac Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pontiac Township archive →Pontiac Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooks Creek Township | — | 516 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Esmen Township | — | 461 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Eppards Point Township | — | 112 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Owego Township | — | 391 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Pontiac Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Pontiac Township
Does Pontiac Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 186 claims in Pontiac Township since 1979, $1.7M in all. The most claims came from Early winter storms (1).
Is Pontiac Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Livingston County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pontiac Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pontiac Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Pontiac Township?
By FEMA money that reached Pontiac Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2008): 476 households applied for aid, $1.6M approved. By flood claims, Early winter storms: 1 paid, $4K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pontiac Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pontiac Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.