Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Northfield Township than in 67% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Northfield Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns, #496 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1982.
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 stands out about Northfield Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Northfield 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 Northfield Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Northfield Township, and Northfield Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 6%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #496 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Northfield 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, Northfield Township has more expected damage per building than 71% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.6M a year in losses across Northfield Township: $2.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Northfield Township flood? Sometimes: 30 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Northfield Township, from FEMA’s records: 8.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 70% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Northfield 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: Washtenaw County.The storms Northfield Township remembers
None of the 8 disasters declared for Washtenaw County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Northfield Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20119 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20017 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20047 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County has had 8 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Northfield Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Northfield Township archive →Northfield Township and its neighbors
Northfield Township is 5th of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Salem Township | Aless damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Green Oak Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Webster Township | B+less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | — |
| 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 Northfield 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 Northfield Township
Is Northfield Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Northfield Township has lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #496 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Northfield Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 30 claims in Northfield Township since 1982, $488K in all, or 8.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 70% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Northfield 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 Washtenaw County, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Northfield Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Northfield Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Northfield Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Northfield Township’s rate for it is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Northfield Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Northfield 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.