Jacobsville Finnish Lutheran Church · Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Torch Lake Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 72% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Torch Lake Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (96%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2026.
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 Torch Lake 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 Torch Lake Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 96% of the building damage FEMA expects in Torch Lake Township, and Torch Lake Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Torch Lake Township’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $591K a year in losses across Torch Lake Township: $436K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Torch Lake Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2026
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Torch Lake Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Torch Lake 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 Torch Lake Township remembers
None of the 6 disasters declared for Houghton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Torch Lake Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20261 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 Torch Lake Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Torch Lake Township archive →Torch Lake Township and its neighbors
Torch Lake Township is 5th of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola Township | A−less damage than 83% | river and rain flooding | 17 |
| Portage Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Lake Linden | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Schoolcraft Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Torch Lake Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Chassell Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Hubbell | — | 881 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| 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 Torch Lake 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 Torch Lake Township
Is Torch Lake Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Torch Lake Township has lower expected damage per building than 72% of U.S. towns: B+ 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 Torch Lake Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Torch Lake Township since 2026, $2K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Torch Lake 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 Torch Lake Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Torch Lake Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Torch Lake Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (96%), and Torch Lake Township’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Torch Lake Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Torch Lake 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.