Photo: User:Visviva · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Sonora Township
Sonora Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Sonora Township has 438 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1993.
What Sonora 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
Strong wind
Hail
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 Sonora Township flood? Sometimes: 30 flood claims since 1993
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sonora Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding22 claims · $588K
Sonora 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: Hancock County.The storms Sonora Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Hancock County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Sonora Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199322 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Hancock County
- 19962 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Hancock County
- 20082 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Hancock County
Hancock County has had 16 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.
Old photos of Sonora Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sonora Township archive →Sonora 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montebello Township | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Appanoose Township | — | 370 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Rock Creek Township | — | 195 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Nauvoo Township | — | 962 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sandusky | — | 354 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Nauvoo | — | 931 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 Sonora 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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 Sonora Township
Does Sonora Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 30 claims in Sonora Township since 1993, $644K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (22).
Is Sonora 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 Hancock County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sonora Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sonora 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 Sonora Township?
By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 22 paid, $588K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sonora Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sonora 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.