Natural hazards · Benton

Benton, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Benton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Benton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves15%Tornadoes12%Strong wind7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Benton faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% 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 Benton flood?

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

1paid claims since 1991

$193Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Benton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Berrien County.

Disasters that hit Benton

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Berrien County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Benton itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Berrien County only

Berrien County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Benton

Benton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Royaltonmostly inland floodingLow

Sodusmostly inland floodingLow

Bentonmostly inland floodingLow

Bainbridgemostly inland floodingLow

Benton Harbormostly inland floodingVery low

Hagarmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Benton covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Benton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Benton. 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 Benton total about $3.8M 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.