Photo: Deedeebee · CC BY 3.0FEMA puts Tecumseh’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 75% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tecumseh gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns, #370 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then tornadoes (15%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Tecumseh 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 Tecumseh’s grade
River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Tecumseh, and Tecumseh’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 7%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #370 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Tecumseh’s residents live in 4 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, Tecumseh has more expected damage per building than 53% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.3M a year in losses across Tecumseh: $1.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Tecumseh flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Tecumseh. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Tecumseh isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lenawee County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Tecumseh
Disasters that paid out in Tecumseh itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Tecumseh), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 1999Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99$7K to the City of Tecumseh for repairs
Lenawee County has had 3 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 Tecumseh after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Tecumseh archive →Tecumseh and its neighbors
Tecumseh has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tecumseh | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Tecumseh Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Raisin Township | B+less damage than 68% | 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 Tecumseh 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 Tecumseh
Is Tecumseh at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Tecumseh has lower expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #370 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Tecumseh 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 Lenawee County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Tecumseh?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Tecumseh’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 Tecumseh?
By FEMA money that reached Tecumseh, Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 (1999): $7K to the City of Tecumseh for repairs.
Is Tecumseh at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Tecumseh’s rate for it is lower than 67% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Tecumseh.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Tecumseh’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.