Storms, floods and disasters in Meriden Township
Meriden Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Meriden Township has 344 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 73 claims here since 1979.
What Meriden 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
Earthquakes
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 Meriden Township flood? Sometimes: 73 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Meriden Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding20 claims · $444K
- Hurricane Ike1 claim · $4K
- The Mid-spring storms1 claim · $8K
Meriden 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: La Salle County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Meriden Township
Disasters that paid out in Meriden Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Meriden Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$16K to Meriden Township for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$5K to Meriden Township for repairs
La Salle County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Meriden Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Meriden Township archive →Meriden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendota | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 36 |
| Earl Township | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Wyoming Township | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Mendota Township | — | not graded yet | |
| Ophir Township | — | 476 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 Meriden 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Meriden Township
Does Meriden Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 73 claims in Meriden Township since 1979, $721K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (20).
Is Meriden 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 La Salle County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Meriden Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Meriden 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 Meriden Township?
By FEMA money that reached Meriden Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): $16K to Meriden Township for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 20 paid, $444K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Meriden Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Meriden 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.