Benzie County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Benzie County's overall risk Very Low (score 22.7 of 100, higher than 22% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 198 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.8 | $292K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | $2.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.3 | $6K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 37.2 | $4.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 27.9 | $94K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 18.4 | $149K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 27.2 | $3K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.3 | $173K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 16.1 | $39K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 12.1 | $4K |
| Hail | Very Low | 9.6 | $28K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.7 | $1K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 5.3 | $5K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 3.3 | $1K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 116 | 0 | $3.3M | 8th of 83 | 223rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 36 | 0 | $268K | 59th of 83 | 2378th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | – | 56th of 83 | 2420th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $62K | 28th of 83 | 1469th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 5 | 0 | $167K | 45th of 83 | 2498th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 2 | $2.8M | 54th of 83 | 2321st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | $19M | 50th of 83 | 1833rd of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 1 | – | 2nd of 83 | 127th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 21st of 83 | 1782nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 40th of 83 | 1590th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Benzie County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.