John Carveth House · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, Thornapple 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, Thornapple Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns, #364 of 701 in Michigan. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 18 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 Thornapple 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 Thornapple Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Thornapple Township, and Thornapple Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 7%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #364 of 701 in Michigan; lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Thornapple Township’s residents live in 2 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, Thornapple Township has more expected damage per building than 52% of Michigan towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Thornapple Township: $1.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Thornapple Township flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Thornapple Township, from FEMA’s records: 5.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 61% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Thornapple 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: Barry County.The storms Thornapple Township remembers
None of the 11 disasters declared for Barry County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Thornapple Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20043 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Barry County
- 20083 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Barry County
- 20133 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Barry County
Barry County has had 11 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 Thornapple Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Thornapple Township archive →Thornapple Township and its neighbors
Thornapple 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leighton Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Caledonia Township | Aless damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 15 |
| Thornapple Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Yankee Springs Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Irving Township | B+less damage than 72% | 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 Thornapple 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 Thornapple Township
Is Thornapple Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Thornapple Township has lower expected damage per building than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #364 of 701 in Michigan. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (72%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Thornapple Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Thornapple Township since 1982, $327K in all, or 5.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 61% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 4 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Thornapple 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 Barry County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Thornapple Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Thornapple Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Thornapple Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Thornapple Township’s rate for it is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Thornapple Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Thornapple 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.