Natural hazards · Kentwood

Kentwood, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kentwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1981. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kentwood?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kentwood to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding48%Tornadoes26%Strong wind8%Cold waves7%Heat waves7%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Kentwood faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Kentwood flood?

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

4paid claims since 1981

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kent County.

Disasters that hit Kentwood

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KentwoodDeclared for Kent County only

2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2013

Flooding

$14K to the City of Kentwood for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2000

Snow

$17K to the City of Kentwood for repairs

1999

Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99

$13K to the City of Kentwood for repairs

Kent County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Kentwood

Kentwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Grand Rapidsmostly inland floodingModerate

Adamostly inland floodingLow

Cascademostly inland floodingVery low

Kentwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Wyomingmostly inland floodingVery low

Gainesmostly inland floodingVery low

Grand Rapidsmostly 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. Kentwood covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kentwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kentwood. 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 Kentwood total about $9.9M 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.