Natural hazards · Colon

Colon, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Colon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1982.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Colon?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Colon to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes8%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Colon faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 56 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Colon flood?

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

3paid claims since 1982

$23Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Joseph County.

Disasters that hit Colon

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ColonDeclared for St. Joseph County only

St. Joseph County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and hurricanes.

Around Colon

Colon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Leonidasmostly inland floodingModerate

Nottawamostly inland floodingModerate

Colonmostly inland floodingModerate

Mattesonmostly inland floodingModerate

Burr Oakmostly inland floodingLow

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. Colon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Colon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Colon. 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 Colon total about $1.2M 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.