Natural hazards · Newton

Newton, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Newton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1985.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Newton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Newton to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes21%Strong wind14%Cold waves10%Hail5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Newton faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Strong wind

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Newton flood?

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

2paid claims since 1985

$7Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19852026

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

Insurance rates: Calhoun County.

Disasters that hit Newton

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into NewtonDeclared for Calhoun County only

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

Around Newton

Newton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Emmettmostly inland floodingLow

Fredoniamostly inland floodingLow

Burlingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Newtonmostly inland floodingLow

Leroymostly 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. Newton covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Newton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Newton. 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 Newton total about $1.4M 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.