Natural hazards · Berrien

Berrien, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berrien comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berrien?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berrien to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding59%Cold waves15%Tornadoes10%Strong wind7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Berrien faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% 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

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 65 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Berrien flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Berrien.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Berrien 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 Berrien

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerrienDeclared for Berrien County only

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

Around Berrien

Berrien and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Oronokomostly inland floodingLow

Nilesmostly inland floodingLow

Berrienmostly inland floodingLow

Pipestonemostly inland floodingLow

Berrien Springsmostly inland floodingLow

Pokagonmostly 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. Berrien covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berrien’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Berrien. 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 Berrien total about $1.4M 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.