FEMA puts Whiteford Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whiteford Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, #386 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2009.
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 Whiteford 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
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 Whiteford Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Whiteford Township, and Whiteford Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 14% (higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ #386 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Whiteford Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Michigan town has lower expected damage than 77% of U.S. towns; within the state, Whiteford Township has more expected damage per building than 55% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Whiteford Township: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Whiteford Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2009
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Whiteford Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Whiteford 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: Monroe County.The storms Whiteford Township remembers
None of the 7 disasters declared for Monroe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Whiteford Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20091 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Monroe County has had 7 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 Whiteford Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Whiteford Township archive →Whiteford Township and its neighbors
Whiteford Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 6 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whiteford Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bedford Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Summerfield Township | Bless damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Sylvania Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Sylvania | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Riga Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Lambertville | — | 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 Whiteford 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.
- 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 Whiteford Township
Is Whiteford Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Whiteford Township has lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #386 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and tornadoes (14%). 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 Whiteford Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Whiteford Township since 2009, $13K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Whiteford 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 Monroe County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Whiteford Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Whiteford Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Whiteford Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Whiteford Township’s rate for it is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Whiteford Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Whiteford 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.