On FEMA’s figures, Grass Township faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, led by river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Grass Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (42%), then earthquakes (37%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1997.
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 Grass 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
Strong wind
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 Grass Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 42% of the building damage FEMA expects in Grass Township, and Grass Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 5%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Grass Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Grass Township: $808K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Grass Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Grass Township, from FEMA’s records: 6.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 64% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The March storm1 claim · $17K
Grass 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: Spencer County.The storms Grass Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Spencer County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Grass Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19971 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Spencer County
- 20081 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Spencer County
- 20181 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Spencer County
Spencer County has had 12 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 Grass Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Grass Township archive →Grass Township and its neighbors
Grass Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 6 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Boon Township | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Luce Township | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Hammond Township | Cmore damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Skelton Township | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Ohio Township | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Jackson Township | — | 862 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 Grass 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Grass Township
Is Grass Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Grass Township has higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (42%) and earthquakes (37%). 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.
Does Grass Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Grass Township since 1997, $27K in all, or 6.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 64% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from March storm (1).
Is Grass 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 Spencer County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Grass Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Grass 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 Grass Township?
By flood claims, March storm: 1 paid, $17K.
Is Grass Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (42%), and Grass Township’s rate for it is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Grass Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Grass 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.