Storms, floods and disasters in Saginaw
Saginaw isn’t graded for hazard risk: Saginaw has 332 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1983.
What Saginaw 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
Ice storms
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.
Does Saginaw flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Saginaw, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late spring severe storms2 claims · $79K
Saginaw isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Newton County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Saginaw
Disasters that paid out in Saginaw itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Saginaw), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Winter Storms$7K to the Village of Saginaw for repairs
Newton County has had 23 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 Saginaw after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Saginaw archive →Saginaw and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 50 |
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 Saginaw 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.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- 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 Saginaw
Does Saginaw flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Saginaw since 1983, $146K in all. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Late spring severe storms (2).
Is Saginaw 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 Newton County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Saginaw?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Saginaw’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 Saginaw?
By FEMA money that reached Saginaw, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $7K to the Village of Saginaw for repairs. By flood claims, Late spring severe storms: 2 paid, $79K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Saginaw.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Saginaw’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.