Berrien County, MI Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Moderate natural hazard risk, led by strong wind. 422 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $45.06M
- Relatively Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 422
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 304
- 0.4% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1941
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Moderate
Score 81.7 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 44.1 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 98.4 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $37.83B · Agriculture value exposed: $221M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $47.71M
Risk by hazard
- Strong windRelatively High$3.05M/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$1.67M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$6.27M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.69M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$169K/yr expected annual loss, about 23 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$897K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 990 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$723K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.5 events a year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$345K/yr expected annual loss, about 38 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$2,868/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$76.84K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.2 events a year
- Coastal floodingVery Low$13.28K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 69 years
- HurricaneVery Low$16K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 95 years
- WildfireVery Low$9,530/yr expected annual loss, about once every 55,336 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, drought, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 304 of 69,412 (0.4%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 1,083
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 164 (15%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 310
- Claims paid since 1978
- $4.43M
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$498K · 37 claims
- Hurricane Ike$101K · 5 claims
- 2026-04-Flooding$5,166 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 422 events, 4 deaths, $22.18M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind252 · 1 death
- Hail76
- Winter Storm20
- Flash Flood18
- Flood11
- Lake-Effect Snow10
- Winter Weather10
- Tornado8
- Rip Current5 · 3 deaths
- Lightning3
Events per year
32 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 3, EF2 1, F0 8, F1 9, F2 10).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind60 kt wind05/21/2004
Coloma, Berrien County
1 death, $10K damage
What happened
Emergency management reported a 4 foot diameter oak tree fell onto a vehicle as it was passing. The car was crushed and the 50 year old female driver was killed instantly.
- Rip Current08/27/2005
Sawyer, Berrien County
1 death
What happened
Coast Guard officials received a report of a 20 year old male caught in a rip current 100 yards off shore from Warren Dunes State Park, near Sawyer. The person was removed from the water and was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Coast Guard and park officials had warned of strong rip current activity through the day.
- Rip Current08/17/2001
Bridgman, Berrien County
1 death
What happened
A 17-year old male drowned while swimming in Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes State Park. Officials at the scene said that wave heights were up to six feet. A rip current apparently pulled him underwater.
- Rip Current07/02/2001
Bridgman, Berrien County
1 death
What happened
13 year old girl drowned at Warren Dunes State Park. Police and park rangers believe girlwas caught in rip current near shore.
- Rip Current07/21/2025
Southern Berrien County
9 injured
What happened
Nine people were rescued by lifeguards in three separate incidents from structural and longshore currents at New Buffalo Beach.
- Flood02/20/2018
Michiana Shrs, Berrien County
$8.4M damage
What happened
Extensive flooding occurred across the county with over 300 structures suffering varying degrees of damage from the flood waters. Several roads were closed across the area with some suffering partial washouts as rivers rose to record or near record levels. Initial damage estimates are at least 8 million dollars.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Hail1" hail06/17/2026
Baroda, Berrien County
$1,000 damage
- Hail1" hail06/17/2026
Baroda, Berrien County
$1,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind06/11/2026
(Beh)ross Arpt Bntn, Berrien County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/18/2026
Niles, Berrien County
$500 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind05/18/2026
(Beh)ross Arpt Bntn, Berrien County
- Hail1" hail05/05/2026
Benton Harbor, Berrien County
$1,000 damage
- Hail1" hail05/05/2026
Stevensville, Berrien County
$1,000 damage
- Strong Wind43 kt wind04/27/2026
Southern Berrien County
$10K damage
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Berrien County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1941)09/17/1941 · Landfall: TX · 985 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
41 community water systems serve about 103,866 people. Violations since 2021.
10 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 3 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Southwest Michigan Regional Sanitary SewServes 26,780 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- NilesServes 14,215 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Benton HarborServes 9,103 · Surface water · Local government14 health violations+11 monitoring or reporting
- St JosephServes 7,930 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Benton Charter TownshipServes 6,768 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- BuchananServes 4,871 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Lake Charter TownshipServes 4,177 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- Andrews UniversityServes 3,000 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Eau Claire 4 NE, 7.6 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 85°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 20°F in Jan. About 38.3 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 86.6 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 20°F | 2.36 in | 30.5 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 22°F | 1.88 in | 17.0 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 30°F | 2.04 in | 8.1 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 40°F | 3.55 in | 1.4 in |
| May | 73°F | 51°F | 3.45 in | - |
| Jun | 81°F | 60°F | 3.79 in | - |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 3.76 in | - |
| Aug | 83°F | 63°F | 4.53 in | - |
| Sep | 76°F | 56°F | 3.27 in | - |
| Oct | 64°F | 45°F | 4.29 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 35°F | 3.02 in | 6.6 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 25°F | 2.36 in | 22.6 in |
| Year | 52°F average | 38.3 in | 86.6 in | |
Pollution sites
3 Superfund sites and 21 toxic release facilities in Berrien County
Superfund sites
- Aircraft Components (d & l Sales)FinalBenton Harbor
- Bendix Corp./Allied AutomotiveFinalSt. Joseph
- ElectrovoiceFinalBuchanan
Toxic release facilities
- Ncp Coatings LLC55,832 lbs released, Niles
- Mplx Terminals LLC - Niles Mi Terminal4,791 lbs released, Niles
- Jvis Manufacturing LLC2,529 lbs released, Benton Harbor
- Modineer Plant 101,750 lbs released, Niles
- Special-Lite Inc.1,498 lbs released, Benton Harbor
- Champlain Specialty Metals Inc.1,479 lbs released, Benton Harbor
- Modineer Plant 61,415 lbs released, Niles
- Niles Steel Tank110 lbs released, Niles
- Tech Nickel Inc24.6 lbs released, Benton Harbor
- Aludyne LLC8.6 lbs released, Benton Harbor
Total: 69,451 lbs in 2024, 18,555 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk21 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Berrien County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Berrien County relatively moderate for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $45.06M a year. The highest-rated hazards are strong wind (relatively high), hail (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Berrien County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 422 storm events affecting Berrien County, most often thunderstorm wind (252), hail (76), winter storm (20).
- How many tornadoes have hit Berrien County?
- 32 tornadoes have been recorded in Berrien County since 1950.
- How many homes in Berrien County have flood insurance?
- 304 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Berrien County, covering about 0.4% of homes. The program has paid $4.43M on 310 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Berrien County?
- At Eau Claire 4 NE, average highs reach 85°F in Jul and lows fall to 20°F in Jan, with 38.3 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.