On FEMA’s figures, Summit Township faces less hazard damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Summit Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #357 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%), then tornadoes (22%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1982.
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 Summit 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
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 Summit Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in Summit Township, and Summit Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 22%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #357 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Summit Township’s residents live in 9 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, Summit Township has more expected damage per building than 51% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.4M a year in losses across Summit Township: $4.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Summit Township flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Summit Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Summit 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: Jackson County.The storms Summit Township remembers
None of the 7 disasters declared for Jackson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Summit Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20202 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19821 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19861 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Jackson County has had 7 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 Summit Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Summit Township archive →Summit Township and its neighbors
Summit Township is 3rd of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Arbor Township | Aless damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Leoni Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Summit Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Napoleon Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Jackson | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Liberty Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Blackman Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Vandercook Lake | — | 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 Summit 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.
- 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 Summit Township
Is Summit Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Summit Township has lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #357 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (63%) and tornadoes (22%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Summit Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Summit Township since 1982, $54K in all, or 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Summit 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 Jackson County, 7% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Summit Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Summit Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Summit Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and Summit Township’s rate for it is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Summit Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Summit 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.