Berrien County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Berrien County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.7 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 746 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.0 | $3.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $1.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 | $6.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.0 | $27M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $4.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.7 | $169K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 61.2 | $345K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $897K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 65.1 | $723K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 47.9 | $77K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.2 | $3K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 38.8 | $13K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 31.7 | $16K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 23.5 | $10K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 333 | 2 | $1.8M | 6th of 83 | 539th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 181 | 1 | $71K | 17th of 83 | 395th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 109 | 0 | $2.4M | 8th of 83 | 1364th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 37 | 0 | $24M | 4th of 83 | 1485th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 0 | $14M | 5th of 83 | 564th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 22 | 19 | – | 1st of 83 | 49th of 2,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 1 | $13K | 20th of 83 | 1218th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $10M | 54th of 83 | 1889th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $1.4M | 25th of 83 | 1185th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 17th of 83 | 1985th 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 Berrien County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.