Natural hazards · Howell

Howell, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1985. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Howell?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howell to be higher than in 6% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding36%Tornadoes31%Cold waves14%Strong wind10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Howell faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

31% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 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 Howell flood?

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

2paid claims since 1985

$44Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19852026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Livingston County.

Disasters that hit Howell

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowellDeclared for Livingston County only

2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

103 households applied for aid $47K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid

2000

Snow

$17K to the City of Howell for repairs

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

Around Howell

Howell and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Marionmostly inland floodingLow

Oceolamostly inland floodingVery low

Howellmostly inland floodingVery low

Genoamostly inland floodingVery low

Howellmostly 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. Howell covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Howell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Howell. 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 Howell total about $2.5M 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.