Less hazard damage per building is expected in LaGrange Township than in 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, LaGrange Township gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #40 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (70%), then tornadoes (13%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What LaGrange Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Hail
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind LaGrange Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 70% of the building damage FEMA expects in LaGrange Township, and LaGrange Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 13% (higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts).
A+ #40 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of LaGrange Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Michigan town has lower expected damage than 77% of U.S. towns; within the state, LaGrange Township has less expected damage per building than 94% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $833K a year in losses across LaGrange Township: $522K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does LaGrange Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2016
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in LaGrange Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
LaGrange Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cass County.The storms LaGrange Township remembers
None of the 6 disasters declared for Cass County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching LaGrange Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20161 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Cass County has had 6 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of LaGrange Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the LaGrange Township archive →LaGrange Township and its neighbors
LaGrange Township is 2nd of the 6 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| LaGrange Township | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Wayne Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Dowagiac | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Penn Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Pokagon Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | — |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what LaGrange Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in LaGrange Township
Is LaGrange Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, LaGrange Township has lower expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk, #40 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (70%) and tornadoes (13%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does LaGrange Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in LaGrange Township since 2016, $7K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 87% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is LaGrange Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Cass County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in LaGrange Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for LaGrange Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is LaGrange Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (70%), and LaGrange Township’s rate for it is lower than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in LaGrange Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where LaGrange Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.