Kalamazoo County, MI
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Kalamazoo County has experienced 12 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Kalamazoo County's highest-rated hazards are hail, tornado, and strong wind, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Kalamazoo County has been designated in 12 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including snowstorm (4), flood (2), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Other | Power Outage |
| 2001 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999 | Snowstorm | Mi - Severe Weather 1/2 /99 |
| 1980 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
| 1978 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1975 | Flood | Severe Storms, High Winds & Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 12 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.9 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.7 | 2 | 0 | $50.0M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 44.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.4 | 10 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 67.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Kalamazoo County ranks in the 43rd percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 43rd | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 41st | Low |
| Household characteristics | 15th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 59th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 61st | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 8th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 7th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 39.9% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Kalamazoo County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Kalamazoo County, Michigan are hail, tornado, and strong wind. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Kalamazoo County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Kalamazoo County has received 12 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is snowstorm (4 declarations).
Has Kalamazoo County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Kalamazoo County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Kalamazoo County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Calhoun County, MI has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Barry County, MI has the lowest (Relatively Low). Kalamazoo County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Kalamazoo County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Kalamazoo County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Kalamazoo County's composite score of 82 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 82% of US counties.