Storm risk in St. Joseph County, Indiana

FEMA's overall hazard score for St. Joseph County is 85.81 (Relatively Moderate), 447th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 94.21 (Relatively High), strong wind 90.74 (Relatively High) and tornado 90.52 (Relatively High). Expected hail loss is $42 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 61 hail reports in St. Joseph County from 2014 to June 2026.

FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.

St. Joseph County: expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings for hail, strong wind and tornado, on a log scale, against all U.S. counties and the counties of IN$0.1$1$10$100$1,000Hail: $42 per $1 million, 1,090th of 3,126 rated counties$42Hail1,090th of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $4.25 per $1 million, 2,684th of 3,121 rated counties$4.25Strong wind2,684th of 3,121 countiesTornado: $131 per $1 million, 1,924th of 3,144 rated counties$131Tornado1,924th of 3,144 counties
  • St. Joseph County, coloured by its FEMA rating
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  • each county in the state
  • U.S. median
  • state median

Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.

How FEMA rates St. Joseph County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in IN
OverallRelatively Moderate 85.81447 of 3,1446 of 92
HailRelatively High 94.21183 of 3,1261 of 92
Strong windRelatively High 90.74292 of 3,12613 of 92
TornadoRelatively High 90.52299 of 3,12612 of 92

Expected yearly loss, in dollars

HazardThis county, total a yearPer $1M of buildingsState median countyU.S. median countyRank per $1M, U.S.Rank per $1M, state
Hail$2,474,570$42 $40$22 1,090 of 3,12643 of 92
Strong wind$250,014$4.25 $25$20 2,684 of 3,12189 of 92
Tornado$7,700,217$131 $276$199 1,924 of 3,14489 of 92

Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.

What stands out in St. Joseph County

  • FEMA expects hail in St. Joseph County to cost $42 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.88 times the U.S. median and 1.05 times the IN county median, ranked 1,090th of 3,126 counties nationally and 43rd of 92 in Indiana.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in St. Joseph County to cost $4.25 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.21 times the U.S. median and 0.17 times the IN county median, ranked 2,684th of 3,121 counties nationally and 89th of 92 in Indiana.
  • FEMA expects tornado in St. Joseph County to cost $131 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.66 times the U.S. median and 0.48 times the IN county median, ranked 1,924th of 3,144 counties nationally and 89th of 92 in Indiana.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $179,800 home, the average yearly loss in St. Joseph County is about $7.57 for hail and $0.77 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $4.02 and $3.66.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in St. Joseph County meets about 26.7 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1968, the median home in St. Joseph County is 58 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 85.5% of its 118,329 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 37 of the 61 hail reports in St. Joseph County (61 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.

What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year

Enter a home value. The calculator applies St. Joseph County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.

$7.57hail, a year; $4.02 at the U.S. median county rate
$0.77strong wind, a year; $3.66 at the U.S. median county rate
$167hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × St. Joseph County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $2,474,570 ÷ $58,760,814,337 = 0.0000421. Wind: $250,014 ÷ $58,760,814,337 = 0.0000043. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.

Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.

St. Joseph County in plain numbers

  • St. Joseph County scores 85.81 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Moderate): 447th of 3,144 rated counties and 6th of 92 in Indiana.
  • Hail scores 94.21 (Relatively High). FEMA expects $2,474,570 of hail damage to buildings in St. Joseph County a year, which is $42 per $1 million of buildings, 1.88 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 90.74 (Relatively High) with $250,014 of expected yearly building loss in St. Joseph County: $4.25 per $1 million of buildings, 0.21 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 90.52 (Relatively High) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $7,700,217, counting everything exposed, or $131 per $1 million of buildings in St. Joseph County.
  • FEMA's own event record for St. Joseph County averages 2.74 hail events and 4.61 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 61 hail reports in St. Joseph County between 2014 and June 2026, on 16 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 2.5 inches.
  • In St. Joseph County, FEMA counts buildings worth 58.76 billion dollars and 272,680 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Relatively Low in St. Joseph County.
  • Community resilience there is Very High, for 272,680 residents.
  • 1 city in St. Joseph County is covered on this site: South Bend. 20 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
  • Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in South Bend is $6,230 to $13,795.
  • St. Joseph County ranks 76 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 157 for wind and 136 for tornado.
  • In St. Joseph County, June is the busiest month with 27 of the 61 reports (44 percent), against 0 reports in December.
  • St. Joseph County's worst year was 2014, with 4 hail days at 1 inch or more and 10 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.33 such days a year, one about every 9.0 months.
  • The median home in St. Joseph County was built in 1968; 65.1% of its 118,329 housing units date from before 1980, 85.5% from before 2000 and 5.9% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in St. Joseph County at $179,800, and 68.8% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 3,574 single-family building permits were issued in St. Joseph County from 2014 to 2025, about 30.2 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2025.
  • NOAA lists 9 tornado tracks in St. Joseph County since 2014; the strongest was an EF1 on August 10, 2020 near Wyatt, 2.41 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for St. Joseph County is 81 mph on June 30, 2014 at South Bend.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Allen County, 72 miles from the centre of St. Joseph County; its hail score is 88.99.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 13 roofing contractor establishments in St. Joseph County in 2023, one for every 9,102 homes.

The hail record of St. Joseph County, year by year

NOAA logged 61 reports in St. Joseph County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 16 days. That is 1.3 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

St. Joseph County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more024681012142014: 10 reports, 4 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch142015: 7 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch152016: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch162017: 11 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.25 inch172018: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch182019: 9 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.25 inch192020: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch202021: 4 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch212022: 5 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.88 inch222023: 14 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2.5 inch232024: 1 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1 inch242025: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch252026: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch26*
  • reports
  • days with hail of 1 inch or more
  • * 2026 runs to June only
St. Joseph County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 0 reports0JanFebruary: 7 reports7FebMarch: 6 reports6MarApril: 2 reports2AprMay: 2 reports2MayJune: 27 reports27JunJuly: 12 reports12JulAugust: 5 reports5AugSeptember: 0 reports0SepOctober: 0 reports0OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 0 reports0Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: June, 27 reports.

The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
YearReportsDays, 1 inch or moreDays, 1.75 inch or moreLargest stoneDamage reported
201410411.75 in–
20157301.5 in–
201711201.25 in–
20199301.25 in–
20214101 in–
20225000.88 in–
202314222.5 in$44,000
20241101 in$1,000

Biggest hail days in St. Joseph County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
July 20, 20232.5 in9$18,000Mishawaka
March 31, 20231.75 in5$26,000Lakeville
June 17, 20141.75 in4none recordedNorth Liberty
June 11, 20151.5 in3none recordedGlenwood
July 23, 20141.5 in1none recordedGranger

Where large hail was reported

FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside St. Joseph County the big stones fell.

Reported hail locations, St. Joseph County

1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail2 in hail2.5 in hail South Bend
  • 321 to 1.74 in
  • 41.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 02.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 2.5 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

36 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.

Sources: NOAA, Census county outline

Wind and tornado records for St. Joseph County

Fastest gusts in St. Joseph County

DateGustNear
June 30, 201481 mphSouth Bend
September 20, 201481 mphRupel
March 30, 202581 mphMishawaka
March 30, 202581 mphTwin Branch Jct

Strongest tornado tracks in St. Joseph County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
June 21, 2021EF11.05 mi0 / 0Woodland
August 10, 2020EF12.41 mi0 / 0Wyatt
April 17, 2026EF01.28 mi0 / 0(Sbn)Michiana Arpt S
September 24, 2024EF00.29 mi0 / 0Indian Vlg

9 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.

How old the roofs are

Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at St. Joseph County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.33 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

St. Joseph County: share of homes by decade built, with the hail days at 1 inch or more that an original roof from each decade has met at the county's 2014 to 2025 ratepre-1940: 18.2% of homes18.2%<19401211940s: 8.6% of homes8.6%1940s1081950s: 15.4% of homes15.4%1950s951960s: 10.1% of homes10.1%1960s811970s: 12.8% of homes12.8%1970s681980s: 9.6% of homes9.6%1980s551990s: 10.8% of homes10.8%1990s412000s: 8.6% of homes8.6%2000s282010s: 5.2% of homes5.2%2010s152020+: 0.6% of homes0.6%2020+4

Bars: share of 118,329 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.

Median year built1968
Built before 198065.1%
Built before 200085.5%
Built since 20105.9%
Owner-occupied68.8%
Median home value$179,800
Single-family permits, 2014 to 20253,574
Permits per 1,000 homes30.2

Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.

Roofers and past disasters in St. Joseph County

Roofing firms in St. Joseph County

Roofing contractor establishments, 202313
Change since 2016-4 (-24%)
Homes per roofing firm9,102
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 2023184

Source for St. Joseph County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.

Nearby counties

The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by St. Joseph County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Allen County, IN72 Relatively Moderate $210.50$143.3773
Howard County, IN78 Relatively Low $471.11$235.4411
Tippecanoe County, IN89 Relatively Moderate $561.33$4.551.0735
Madison County, IN104 Relatively Low $420.99$6.561.5443
Delaware County, IN105 Relatively Low $461.10$9.792.3024
Vigo County, IN160 Relatively Moderate $491.17$122.9324

More Indiana counties, nearest first

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in St. Joseph County

1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 20 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
South Bend 46601 (100%), 46628 (100%), 46615 (100%) Roofers

Storm hit your roof in St. Joseph County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.

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Questions

How high is storm risk in St. Joseph County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Joseph County an overall score of 85.81 (Relatively Moderate), 447th of 3,144. Hail scores 94.21 (Relatively High), strong wind 90.74 (Relatively High) and tornado 90.52 (Relatively High).

In St. Joseph County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?

A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 61 for St. Joseph County between 2014 and June 2026, on 16 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 2.5 inches.

What do hail and wind cost a home in St. Joseph County each year, on average?

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $179,800: FEMA's estimate is about $7.57 a year for hail and $0.77 for wind, before any deductible, against $4.02 and $3.66 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.

How does St. Joseph County compare with the rest of Indiana?

Per $1 million of buildings St. Joseph County loses $42 to hail a year, against $40 in the median county of the state. Among 92 rated counties it is 1st for hail, 13th for strong wind and 12th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in St. Joseph County?

The median home was built in 1968, 58 years ago, and 85.5% of the 118,329 housing units in St. Joseph County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.

What does expected annual loss mean?

It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.

Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?

No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.

Sources for St. Joseph County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for St. Joseph County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in St. Joseph County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in St. Joseph County. Planning-level information about St. Joseph County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).