Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Lawrence Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 67% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lawrence Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns, #495 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then hail (18%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2019.
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 Lawrence 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
Hail
Tornadoes
Strong wind
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 Lawrence Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lawrence Township, and Lawrence Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 18%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ #495 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Lawrence 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, Lawrence Township has more expected damage per building than 71% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $816K a year in losses across Lawrence Township: $617K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Lawrence Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2019
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lawrence Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Lawrence 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: Van Buren County.The storms Lawrence Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Van Buren County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lawrence Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20191 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Van Buren County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Lawrence Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lawrence Township archive →Lawrence Township and its neighbors
Lawrence Township is 3rd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paw Paw Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Hamilton Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Lawrence Township | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Arlington Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Hartford Township | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Lawrence 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Lawrence Township
Is Lawrence Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lawrence Township has lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #495 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and hail (18%). 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 Lawrence Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Lawrence Township since 2019, $13K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Lawrence 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 Van Buren County, 6% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lawrence Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lawrence Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Lawrence Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Lawrence Township’s rate for it is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lawrence Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lawrence 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.