Wayne County, Michigan: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wayne County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.0 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, strong wind, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,138 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.7 | $60M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.7 | $13M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.5 | $44M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.4 | $237M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 99.0 | $2.8M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.3 | $2.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.3 | $32M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.7 | $491K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.7 | $9.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $90K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 46.5 | $174K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.2 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 57.8 | $120K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 54.4 | $46K |
| 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 | 583 | 9 | $88M | 1st of 83 | 202nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 223 | 0 | $9K | 2nd of 83 | 494th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 117 | 0 | $1.6B | 1st of 83 | 368th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 62 | 0 | $32M | 71st of 83 | 1521st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 0 | $74M | 4th of 83 | 523rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 2 | $299M | 1st of 83 | 391st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 12 | $478K | 11th of 83 | 750th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 21 | 3 | $1.3M | 3rd of 83 | 243rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 17 | 4 | – | 4th of 83 | 810th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | $250M | 10th of 83 | 2305th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 19th of 83 | 2038th 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 Wayne County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.