Less hazard damage per building is expected in Fruitland Township than in 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fruitland Township gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #211 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (88%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1989.
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 Fruitland 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
Strong wind
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 Fruitland Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 88% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fruitland Township, and Fruitland Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts. Next is strong wind at 6% (higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts).
A #211 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Fruitland Township’s residents live in 3 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, Fruitland Township has less expected damage per building than 70% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $897K a year in losses across Fruitland Township: $739K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Fruitland Township flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fruitland Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Fruitland 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: Muskegon County.The storms Fruitland Township remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Muskegon County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Fruitland Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20203 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19891 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Muskegon County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Fruitland Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fruitland Township archive →Fruitland Township and its neighbors
Fruitland Township is 6th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehall | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Laketon Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Dalton Township | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | — |
| White River Township | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Montague Township | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Fruitland Township | Aless damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
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 Fruitland 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Fruitland Township
Is Fruitland Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fruitland Township has lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #211 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (88%) and strong wind (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Fruitland Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Fruitland Township since 1989, $19K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Fruitland 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 Muskegon County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Fruitland Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fruitland Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Fruitland Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (88%), and Fruitland Township’s rate for it is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fruitland Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fruitland 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.