Photo: User:Visviva · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, May Township faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, May Township gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (57%), then earthquakes (26%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2000.
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 May 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
Earthquakes
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.
What’s behind May Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 57% of the building damage FEMA expects in May Township, and May Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 26% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).
B− higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns (21,298).
May Township’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across May Township: $763K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does May Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2000
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in May Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
May 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: Christian County.The storms May Township remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Christian County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching May Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20001 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20021 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, declared for Christian County
- 20191 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Christian County has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of May Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the May Township archive →May Township and its neighbors
May Township is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locust Township | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | — |
| May Township | B−more damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Taylorville Township | — | not graded yet | |
| Stonington Township | — | 752 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Prairieton Township | — | 459 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Assumption Township | — | not graded yet | |
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 May 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 May Township
Is May Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, May Township has higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (57%) and earthquakes (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does May Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in May Township since 2000, $14K in all, or 4.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is May 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 Christian County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in May Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for May Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is May Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (57%), and May Township’s rate for it is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in May Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where May 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.