Van Buren County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Van Buren County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 60.5 of 100, higher than 60% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 452 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 | 95.4 | $3.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 92.4 | $2.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 84.1 | $537K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 77.0 | $3.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $9.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.9 | $86K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 58.4 | $1.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 52.3 | $242K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 44.2 | $267K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 53.7 | $2K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.9 | $304K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 29.0 | $13K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26.4 | $11K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 23.8 | $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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 184 | 1 | $7.2M | 26th of 83 | 1244th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 144 | 1 | $200K | 23rd of 83 | 531st of 3,077 |
| Hail | 69 | 0 | $69M | 17th of 83 | 1796th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 0 | $69M | 33rd of 83 | 1892nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 1 | $16M | 32nd of 83 | 1594th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 10 | 0 | $6.6M | 41st of 83 | 2468th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 4 | – | 6th of 83 | 155th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $368K | 38th of 83 | 1552nd 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 Van Buren County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.