Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0FEMA puts Green Oak Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 75% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Green Oak Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns, #372 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (71%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 15 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 Green Oak 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
Tornadoes
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 Green Oak Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 71% of the building damage FEMA expects in Green Oak Township, and Green Oak Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 9%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #372 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Green Oak 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, Green Oak Township has more expected damage per building than 53% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.4M a year in losses across Green Oak Township: $4.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Green Oak Township flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Green Oak Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ike1 claim · $10K
Green Oak 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.The storms Green Oak Township remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Livingston County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Green Oak Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20043 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Livingston County
- 20012 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19891 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Livingston County has had 5 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 Green Oak Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Green Oak Township archive →Green Oak Township and its neighbors
Green Oak Township is 5th of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Lyon Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | — |
| South Lyon | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Brighton Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Green Oak Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Hamburg Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 53 |
| Northfield Township | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
| Whitmore Lake | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 Green Oak 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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 Green Oak Township
Is Green Oak Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Green Oak Township has lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #372 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (71%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Green Oak Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Green Oak Township since 1989, $166K in all, or 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).
Is Green Oak 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, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Green Oak Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Green Oak 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 Green Oak Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $10K.
Is Green Oak Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (71%), and Green Oak Township’s rate for it is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Green Oak Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Green Oak 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.