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Natural hazards · Ionia

Ionia, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ionia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1986. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Ionia?

23
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ionia to be higher than in 23% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes19%Strong wind11%Cold waves9%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Ionia faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Strong wind

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 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 Ionia flood?

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

11paid claims since 1986
$97Kpaid to owners
2homes flooded more than once
19862026

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Ionia

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into IoniaDeclared for Ionia County only
2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

16 households applied for aid
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2000

Snow

$8K to the City of Ionia for repairs
1999

Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99

$9K to the City of Ionia for repairs
Ionia County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.
Around Ionia

Ionia and the towns around it

Ionia: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEaston: Low, mostly inland floodingBerlin: Low, mostly inland floodingOrange: Low, mostly inland floodingLyons: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRonald: Moderate, mostly inland floodingKeene: Very low, mostly inland floodingOrleans: Very low, mostly inland floodingBoston: Moderate, mostly inland floodingOdessa: Low, mostly inland floodingSebewa: Low, mostly inland floodingPortland: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIonia: Low, mostly inland flooding IoniaIoniaEastonBerlinOrange
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ioniamostly inland floodingModerate
Berlinmostly inland floodingLow
Eastonmostly inland floodingLow
Orangemostly inland floodingLow
Ioniamostly 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. Ionia covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ionia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ionia. 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 Ionia total about $2.0M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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