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 moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1991.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Benton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding84%Cold waves12%Everything else4%

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

84% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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.

2paid claims since 1991

$208Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

Biggest named events

2026-04-Flooding: 1 claim, $15K

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: Cheboygan County.

Disasters that hit Benton

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Cheboygan County only

Cheboygan County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and ice storms.

Around Benton

Benton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Alohamostly inland floodingModerate

Bentonmostly inland floodingModerate

Grantmostly inland floodingModerate

Bearingermostly inland floodingModerate

Cheboyganmostly inland floodingLow

Invernessmostly 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 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Benton’s own flood-insurance community; 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 $3.3M 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.