Photo: Tim Kiser · CC BY 4.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Port Sheldon Township than in 71% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Sheldon Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns, #438 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%). Flood insurance has paid 10 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 Port Sheldon 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 Port Sheldon Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 84% of the building damage FEMA expects in Port Sheldon Township, and Port Sheldon Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 52% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 5%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #438 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Port Sheldon Township’s residents live in 2 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, Port Sheldon Township has more expected damage per building than 62% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Port Sheldon Township: $1.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Port Sheldon Township flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Port Sheldon Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Port Sheldon 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: Ottawa County.The storms Port Sheldon Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Ottawa County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Port Sheldon Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19854 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19861 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Ottawa County
- 19881 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Ottawa County has had 13 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 Port Sheldon Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Port Sheldon Township archive →Port Sheldon Township and its neighbors
Port Sheldon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Port Sheldon Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Park Township | B+less damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 19 |
| Grand Haven Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
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 Port Sheldon 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 Port Sheldon Township
Is Port Sheldon Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Port Sheldon Township has lower expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #438 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (84%) and tornadoes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Port Sheldon Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Port Sheldon Township since 1985, $214K in all, or 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Port Sheldon 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 Ottawa County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Port Sheldon Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Port Sheldon Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Port Sheldon Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (84%), and Port Sheldon Township’s rate for it is higher than 52% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Port Sheldon Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Port Sheldon 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.