St. Joseph County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates St. Joseph County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 58.6 of 100, higher than 58% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 497 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 Moderate | 85.2 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.4 | $1.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.4 | $602K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 68.1 | $11M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.9 | $1.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 63.5 | $1.9M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $296K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 60.8 | $442K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.2 | $80K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 46.4 | $53K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.7 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 38.0 | $25K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.8 | $156K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 17.0 | $6K |
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 | 273 | 4 | $1.5M | 10th of 83 | 666th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 99 | 0 | $43K | 27th of 83 | 706th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 73 | 0 | $101K | 26th of 83 | 1932nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 0 | $1.8M | 22nd of 83 | 1441st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 0 | $10K | 29th of 83 | 1481st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 6 | 0 | $1.5M | 55th of 83 | 2644th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 6 | 1 | $40K | 10th of 83 | 601st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 48th of 83 | 1763rd of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full St. Joseph County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.