FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Steuben Township than in 65% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Steuben Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then tornadoes (12%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Steuben 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
Strong wind
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.
What’s behind Steuben Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Steuben Township, and Steuben Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 11%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Steuben Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Steuben Township: $634K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Steuben Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Steuben Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Steuben 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: Marshall County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Steuben Township
Disasters that paid out in Steuben Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Steuben Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2006Snow$3K to Steuben Township for repairs
- 2000Illinois Winter Snow Storms$3K to Steuben Township for repairs
- 1999Il-winter Storm 1/1/99$3K to Steuben Township for repairs
Marshall County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Steuben Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Steuben Township archive →Steuben Township and its neighbors
Steuben Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steuben Township | B+less damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Lacon Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Chillicothe Township | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 731 |
| Whitefield Township | — | 213 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| La Prairie Township | — | 285 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Henry 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 Steuben 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Steuben Township
Is Steuben Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Steuben Township has lower expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and tornadoes (12%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Steuben 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 Marshall County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Steuben Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Steuben 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 Steuben Township?
By FEMA money that reached Steuben Township, Snow (2006): $3K to Steuben Township for repairs.
Is Steuben Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Steuben Township’s rate for it is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Steuben Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Steuben 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.