Natural hazards · Nelson

Nelson, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Nelson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Nelson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding52%Tornadoes20%Strong wind13%Cold waves7%Heat waves6%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Nelson faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 50 years in the area

Strong wind

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% 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

6% 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 Nelson flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Nelson.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Nelson 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 Nelson

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into NelsonDeclared for Kent County only

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

Around Nelson

Nelson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Courtlandmostly inland floodingLow

Spencermostly inland floodingVery low

Cedar Springsmostly inland floodingVery low

Piersonmostly inland floodingVery low

Nelsonmostly 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. Nelson covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Nelson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Nelson. 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 Nelson total about $1.3M 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.