Natural hazards · Birmingham

Birmingham, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Birmingham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1981. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Birmingham?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Birmingham to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes25%Cold waves12%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Birmingham faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Birmingham flood?

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

17paid claims since 1981

$84Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19812026

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

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

Insurance rates: Oakland County.

Disasters that hit Birmingham

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BirminghamDeclared for Oakland County only

2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $82K aid approved

2021

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

26 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2000

Snow

$14K to the City of Birmingham for repairs

1999

Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99

$35K to the City of Birmingham for repairs

Oakland County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Birmingham

Birmingham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Birminghammostly inland floodingLow

Troymostly inland floodingVery low

Bloomfieldmostly 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. Birmingham covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Birmingham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Birmingham. 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 Birmingham total about $7.7M 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.