Photo: OmidGul · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Orchard Lake Village’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 90% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Orchard Lake Village gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then tornadoes (24%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 Orchard Lake Village 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
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 Orchard Lake Village’s grade
River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Orchard Lake Village, and Orchard Lake Village’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 24%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
A lower expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Orchard Lake Village’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Orchard Lake Village: $878K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Orchard Lake Village flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Orchard Lake Village, from FEMA’s records: 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 74% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Orchard Lake Village isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Oakland County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Orchard Lake Village
Disasters that paid out in Orchard Lake Village itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Orchard Lake Village), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2000Snow$5K to the City of Orchard Lake Village for repairs
Oakland County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Orchard Lake Village after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Orchard Lake Village archive →Orchard Lake Village and its neighbors
Orchard Lake Village 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard Lake Village | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| West Bloomfield Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Keego Harbor | A−less damage than 77% | 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 Orchard Lake Village 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.
- 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 Orchard Lake Village
Is Orchard Lake Village at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Orchard Lake Village has lower expected damage per building than 90% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and tornadoes (24%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Orchard Lake Village flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Orchard Lake Village since 1989, $738 in all, or 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 74% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Orchard Lake Village 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 Oakland County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Orchard Lake Village?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Orchard Lake Village’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 Orchard Lake Village?
By FEMA money that reached Orchard Lake Village, Snow (2000): $5K to the City of Orchard Lake Village for repairs.
Is Orchard Lake Village at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Orchard Lake Village’s rate for it is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Orchard Lake Village.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Orchard Lake Village’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.