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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Grafton · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Grafton

Grafton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Grafton has 734 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 649 claims here since 1979.

Flood claims
649
paid since 1979 · $8.9M
Flooded more than once
45
properties · 23 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
3
of 17 declared for Jersey County
By hazard

What Grafton 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

89%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Earthquakes Hail Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 13% of Grafton’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Grafton flood? Yes: 649 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Grafton, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 118 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 5 claims1982: 75 claims1983: 57 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 7 claims1986: 47 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 2 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 146 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 22 claims1996: 8 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 3 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 3 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 1 claim2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 39 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 2 claims2011: 4 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 20 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 23 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 12 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 53 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919821993
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding104 claims · $2.7M
  • The Early winter storms11 claims · $183K
  • The Mid-spring storms7 claims · $276K
649
paid claims since 1979
$8.9M
paid to owners
45
homes flooded more than once
$14K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (23)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Grafton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Jersey County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
102flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2buildings retrofitted against wind
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Grafton

Disasters that paid out in Grafton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Grafton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$351K to the City of Grafton for repairs53 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding39 households applied for aid$12K aid approved$89K to the City of Grafton for repairs39 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$40K to the City of Grafton for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in GraftonJersey County only

Jersey County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Grafton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Grafton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Grafton faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Grafton

Does Grafton flood?

Flood insurance has paid 649 claims in Grafton since 1979, $8.9M in all. 45 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (104).

Is Grafton 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 Jersey County, 28% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Grafton?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Grafton’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 Grafton?

By FEMA money that reached Grafton, Severe Storms and Flooding (2019): $351K to the City of Grafton for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 104 paid, $2.7M.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Grafton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Grafton’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.