FEMA puts Little Traverse Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 73% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Little Traverse Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns, #420 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2026.
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 Little Traverse 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 Little Traverse Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Little Traverse Township, and Little Traverse Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #420 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Little Traverse Township’s residents live in 4 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, Little Traverse Township has more expected damage per building than 60% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Little Traverse Township: $921K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Little Traverse Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2026
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Little Traverse Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 89% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Little Traverse 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: Emmet County.The storms Little Traverse Township remembers
None of the 4 disasters declared for Emmet County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Little Traverse Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20261 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Emmet County
Emmet County has had 4 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 Little Traverse Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Little Traverse Township archive →Little Traverse Township and its neighbors
Little Traverse Township is 4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Township | A+less damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Harbor Springs | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Traverse Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Little Traverse Township | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Littlefield Township | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Maple River Township | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Pleasantview Township | — | 862 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Conway | — | 237 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 Little Traverse 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 Little Traverse Township
Is Little Traverse Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Little Traverse Township has lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #420 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Little Traverse Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Little Traverse Township since 2026, $10K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 89% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Little Traverse 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 Emmet County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Little Traverse Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Little Traverse Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Little Traverse Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Little Traverse Township’s rate for it is higher than 60% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Little Traverse Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Little Traverse 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.