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Natural hazards · Southfield

Southfield, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Southfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1981. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Southfield?

15
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Southfield to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding44%Tornadoes29%Cold waves16%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Southfield faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Southfield flood?

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

19paid claims since 1981
$91Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19812026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Southfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Oakland County.
Disasters that hit Southfield

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SouthfieldDeclared for Oakland County only
2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3,409 households applied for aid $10.2M aid approved
2021

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

677 households applied for aid $763K aid approved
2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,722 households applied for aid $1.7M aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

836 households applied for aid $282K aid approved
Oakland County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Southfield

Southfield and the towns around it

Southfield: Low, mostly inland floodingBeverly Hills: Low, mostly inland floodingBingham Farms: Very low, mostly inland floodingOak Park: Low, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Very low, mostly inland floodingFarmington Hills: Very low, mostly inland floodingDetroit: Low, mostly inland floodingBloomfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingFerndale: Very low, mostly inland floodingHuntington Woods: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoyal Oak: Very low, mostly inland floodingBerkley: Low, mostly inland floodingFarmington: Very low, mostly inland floodingWest Bloomfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingNovi: Very low, mostly inland floodingLivonia: Very low, mostly inland floodingDearborn: Low, mostly inland floodingRiver Rouge: Low, mostly inland floodingGrosse Pointe Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDearborn Heights: Low, mostly inland floodingMelvindale: Low, mostly inland floodingHarper Woods: Very high, mostly inland floodingRedford: Very low, mostly inland floodingLincoln Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingGrosse Pointe Woods: Very high, mostly inland floodingHazel Park: Low, mostly inland floodingEcorse: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouthfield: Very low, mostly inland flooding SouthfieldSouthfieldBeverly HillsBingham FarmsOak ParkFranklinFarmington HillsDetroit
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Oak Parkmostly inland floodingLow
Beverly Hillsmostly inland floodingLow
Detroitmostly inland floodingLow
Southfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Farmington Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low
Southfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Bingham Farmsmostly inland floodingVery low
Franklinmostly 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. Southfield covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Southfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Southfield. 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 Southfield total about $20.4M 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.

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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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