Photo: Chris857 · CC BY-SA 4.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Osceola Township than in 83% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Osceola Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 17 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 Osceola 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 Osceola Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Osceola Township, and Osceola Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 50% of U.S. census tracts.
A− lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Osceola Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $512K a year in losses across Osceola Township: $363K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Osceola Township flood? Sometimes: 17 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Osceola Township, from FEMA’s records: 19.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2026-04-Flooding4 claims · $222K
Osceola 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: Houghton County.The storms Osceola Township remembers
None of the 6 disasters declared for Houghton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Osceola Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20147 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20264 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19893 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Houghton County has had 6 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 Osceola Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Osceola Township archive →Osceola Township and its neighbors
Osceola Township is 2nd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet Township | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Osceola Township | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 17 |
| Franklin Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Torch Lake Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Dollar Bay | — | 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 Osceola 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 Osceola Township
Is Osceola Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Osceola Township has lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Osceola Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 17 claims in Osceola Township since 1989, $634K in all, or 19.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from 2026-04-Flooding (4).
Is Osceola 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 Houghton County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Osceola Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Osceola 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 Osceola Township?
By flood claims, 2026-04-Flooding: 4 paid, $222K.
Is Osceola Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Osceola Township’s rate for it is higher than 50% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Osceola Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Osceola 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.