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Natural hazards · Southgate

Southgate, MI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Southgate comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Southgate?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Southgate to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding57%Cold waves17%Tornadoes10%Heat waves9%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Southgate faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Southgate flood?

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

1paid claims since 2023
$29Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20232026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Southgate isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wayne County.
Disasters that hit Southgate

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SouthgateDeclared for Wayne County only
2023

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

177 households applied for aid $363K aid approved
2021

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

60 households applied for aid $31K aid approved
2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,432 households applied for aid $1.5M aid approved $173K to the City of Southgate for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $6K aid approved
Wayne County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Southgate

Southgate and the towns around it

Allen Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWyandotte: Low, mostly inland floodingLincoln Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMelvindale: Low, mostly inland floodingDearborn: Low, mostly inland floodingDearborn Heights: Low, mostly inland floodingGrosse Ile: Low, mostly inland floodingEcorse: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDetroit: Low, mostly inland floodingSouthgate: Low, mostly inland flooding SouthgateAllen ParkWyandotteLincoln Park
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Allen Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Lincoln Parkmostly inland floodingModerate
Wyandottemostly inland floodingLow
Southgatemostly 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. Southgate covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Southgate’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Southgate. 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 Southgate total about $6.0M 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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