Natural hazards · Bedford

Bedford, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bedford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Bedford?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bedford to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes16%Cold waves12%Strong wind6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Bedford faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Bedford flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bedford, from FEMA’s records.

12paid claims since 1979

$49Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Bedford is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Monroe County.

Disasters that hit Bedford

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bedford itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of Bedford.

Brought FEMA money into BedfordDeclared for Monroe County only

1999

Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99

$22K to the Township of Bedford for repairs

Monroe County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Bedford

Bedford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eriemostly inland floodingLow

Idamostly inland floodingLow

Toledomostly inland floodingLow

Bedfordmostly inland floodingLow

Whitefordmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Bedford covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bedford’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bedford. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Bedford total about $9.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.