Natural hazards · Burton

Burton, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Burton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burton to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes26%Cold waves20%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Burton faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% 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 Burton flood?

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

60paid claims since 1978

$352Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19782026

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. Burton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Genesee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Burton

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BurtonDeclared for Genesee County only

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $11K aid approved

2000

Snow

$19K to the City of Burton for repairs

Genesee County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Burton

Burton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Davisonmostly inland floodingLow

Flintmostly inland floodingLow

Burtonmostly inland floodingLow

Geneseemostly inland floodingLow

Flintmostly inland floodingVery low

Grand Blancmostly 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. Burton covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Burton. 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 Burton total about $8.0M 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.