Photo: ShadZ01 · CC BY-SA 4.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in St. Joseph Township than in 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #349 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1979.
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 St. Joseph 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
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 St. Joseph Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Joseph Township, and St. Joseph Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 7% (higher than 56% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #349 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Joseph Township’s residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Michigan town has lower expected damage than 77% of U.S. towns; within the state, St. Joseph Township has less expected damage per building than 50% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across St. Joseph Township: $1.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Joseph Township flood? Sometimes: 13 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Joseph Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 53% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ike1 claim · $39K
St. Joseph 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: Berrien County.The storms St. Joseph Township remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Berrien County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Joseph Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20184 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19832 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Berrien County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of St. Joseph Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Joseph Township archive →St. Joseph Township and its neighbors
St. Joseph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| St. Joseph | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| St. Joseph Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Royalton Township | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 47 |
| Lincoln Township | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Shoreham | — | not graded yet | |
| Fair Plain | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
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 St. Joseph 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.
- 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 St. Joseph Township
Is St. Joseph Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph Township has lower expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #349 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%) and tornadoes (7%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Joseph Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 13 claims in St. Joseph Township since 1979, $529K in all, or 2.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 53% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (1).
Is St. Joseph 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 Berrien County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. Joseph Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Joseph Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in St. Joseph Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 1 paid, $39K.
Is St. Joseph Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and St. Joseph Township’s rate for it is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Joseph Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Joseph 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.