Kalamazoo County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kalamazoo County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.7 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 487 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.4 | $5.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.7 | $12M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.9 | $2.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | $27M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | $293K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.7 | $4.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $326K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 67.1 | $539K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.9 | $944K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.3 | $5K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $619K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 44.5 | $52K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.6 | $25K |
| 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 | 229 | 1 | $15M | 9th of 83 | 622nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 100 | 0 | $177M | 6th of 83 | 1134th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 100 | 0 | $418K | 31st of 83 | 807th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 5 | $159M | 8th of 83 | 833rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 14 | 0 | $25M | 22nd of 83 | 2185th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 0 | $22M | 41st of 83 | 1834th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $37K | 22nd of 83 | 1175th 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 Kalamazoo County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.