Photo: Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Blair Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blair Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #225 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2012.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Blair 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.
What’s behind Blair Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in Blair Township, and Blair Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #225 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Blair Township’s residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Michigan town has lower expected damage than 77% of U.S. towns; within the state, Blair Township has less expected damage per building than 68% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.9M a year in losses across Blair Township: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Blair Township flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 2012
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Blair Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 62% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2026-04-Flooding3 claims · $203K
Blair 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: Grand Traverse County.The storms Blair Township remembers
None of the 3 disasters declared for Grand Traverse County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Blair Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20263 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Grand Traverse County
- 20121 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20141 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Grand Traverse County has had 3 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Blair Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Blair Township archive →Blair Township and its neighbors
Blair Township is 5th of the 6 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| East Bay Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Mayfield Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Paradise Township | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Blair Township | A−less damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Green Lake Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Chums Corner | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| Grawn | — | 800 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 Blair 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 Blair Township
Is Blair Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Blair Township has lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #225 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Blair Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Blair Township since 2012, $225K in all, or 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 62% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from 2026-04-Flooding (3).
Is Blair 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 Grand Traverse County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Blair Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Blair 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 Blair Township?
By flood claims, 2026-04-Flooding: 3 paid, $203K.
Is Blair Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and Blair Township’s rate for it is lower than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Blair Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Blair 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.