On FEMA’s figures, Odessa Township faces less hazard damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Odessa Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #348 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then tornadoes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1986.
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 Odessa 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
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 Odessa Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Odessa Township, and Odessa Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 13%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #348 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Odessa 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, Odessa Township has less expected damage per building than 50% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Odessa Township: $1.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Odessa Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1986
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Odessa Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Odessa 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: Ionia County.The storms Odessa Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Ionia County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Odessa Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19861 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Ionia County
- 19891 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Ionia County has had 13 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 Odessa Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Odessa Township archive →Odessa Township and its neighbors
Odessa Township is 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebewa Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Odessa Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Campbell Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Berlin Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 82 |
| Woodland Township | B−more damage than 54% | 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 Odessa 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.
- 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 Odessa Township
Is Odessa Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Odessa Township has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #348 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and tornadoes (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 Odessa Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Odessa Township since 1986, $32K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Odessa 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 Ionia County, 13% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Odessa Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Odessa Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Odessa Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Odessa Township’s rate for it is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Odessa Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Odessa 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.