John Chambers House · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in St. Ignace than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Ignace gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 St. Ignace 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 St. Ignace’s grade
River and rain flooding is 92% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Ignace, and St. Ignace’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 94% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Ignace’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $477K a year in losses across St. Ignace: $334K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Ignace flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in St. Ignace. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
St. Ignace isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Mackinac County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to St. Ignace
Disasters that paid out in St. Ignace itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of St. Ignace), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2025Severe Winter Storm$267K to the City of St. Ignace for repairs
Mackinac County has had 4 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of St. Ignace after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Ignace archive →St. Ignace and its neighbors
St. Ignace 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Ignace | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Moran Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| St. Ignace Township | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | — |
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 St. Ignace 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 St. Ignace
Is St. Ignace at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Ignace has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (92%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is St. Ignace 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 Mackinac County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in St. Ignace?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Ignace’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 St. Ignace?
By FEMA money that reached St. Ignace, Severe Winter Storm (2025): $267K to the City of St. Ignace for repairs.
Is St. Ignace at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (92%), and St. Ignace’s rate for it is lower than 94% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Ignace.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Ignace’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.