Morgan-Copp-Mervau Building · Public domainLess hazard damage per building is expected in Leelanau Township than in 97% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Leelanau Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1985.
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 Leelanau 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 Leelanau Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Leelanau Township, and Leelanau Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ lower expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Leelanau Township’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Leelanau Township: $624K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Leelanau Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Leelanau Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 78% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Leelanau 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: Leelanau County.The storms Leelanau Township remembers
None of the 2 disasters declared for Leelanau County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Leelanau Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19851 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19861 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Leelanau County has had 2 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Leelanau Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Leelanau Township archive →Leelanau Township and its neighbors
Leelanau Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leelanau Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Suttons Bay Township | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Leland Township | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Leelanau 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 Leelanau Township
Is Leelanau Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Leelanau Township has lower expected damage per building than 97% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Leelanau Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Leelanau Township since 1985, $4K in all, or 1.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 78% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Leelanau 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 Leelanau County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Leelanau Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Leelanau Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Leelanau Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Leelanau Township’s rate for it is lower than 77% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Leelanau Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Leelanau 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.