Natural hazards · Napoleon

Napoleon, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Napoleon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2018. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Napoleon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Napoleon to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding47%Tornadoes29%Cold waves10%Strong wind5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Napoleon faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% 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 Napoleon flood?

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

2paid claims since 2018

$76Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20182026

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

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

Disasters that hit Napoleon

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into NapoleonDeclared for Jackson County only

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Jackson County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and severe storms.

Around Napoleon

Napoleon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Norvellmostly inland floodingLow

Napoleonmostly inland floodingLow

Summitmostly inland floodingLow

Grass Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Leonimostly inland floodingLow

Columbiamostly 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. Napoleon covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Napoleon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Napoleon. 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 Napoleon total about $1.5M 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.