Photo: Johnnie Tran · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in DeKalb Township
DeKalb Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to DeKalb Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 168 claims here since 1978.
What DeKalb 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
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.
Does DeKalb Township flood? Yes: 168 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in DeKalb Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Mid-spring storms4 claims · $30K
- Hurricane Ike2 claims · $26K
DeKalb 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: DeKalb County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to DeKalb Township
Disasters that paid out in DeKalb Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to DeKalb Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding56 households applied for aid$38K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding19 households applied for aid$33K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding180 households applied for aid$336K aid approved47 flood claims paid that year
DeKalb County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of DeKalb Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the DeKalb Township archive →DeKalb Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cortland Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Malta Township | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Afton Township | — | 938 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Mayfield Township | — | 851 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 DeKalb 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.
- 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 DeKalb Township
Does DeKalb Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 168 claims in DeKalb Township since 1978, $2.3M in all. The most claims came from Mid-spring storms (4).
Is DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in DeKalb Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for DeKalb Township’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 DeKalb Township?
By FEMA money that reached DeKalb Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2007): 180 households applied for aid, $336K approved. By flood claims, Mid-spring storms: 4 paid, $30K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in DeKalb Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where DeKalb 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.