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B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in North Liberty · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in North Liberty than in 67% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Liberty gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1997.

River and rain flooding 82%Tornadoes 9%Hail 6%

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

less than 67%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B+
in Indiana · lower than 67% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
82% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 1997 · $19K
Disasters paid out here
6
of 14 declared for St. Joseph County
By hazard

What North Liberty 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

82%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

9%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 20% of North Liberty’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind North Liberty’s grade

River and rain flooding is 82% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Liberty, and North Liberty’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 9% (higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts).

Where North Liberty sits
North Liberty
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of North Liberty’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding82%Tornadoes9%Hail6%Everything else3%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $492K a year in losses across North Liberty: $330K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of North Liberty’s 1,623 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does North Liberty flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1997

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Liberty, from FEMA’s records: 2.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 55% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1997: 1 claim1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19972016
19972026
2
paid claims since 1997
$19K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

North Liberty isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: St. Joseph County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to North Liberty

Disasters that paid out in North Liberty itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of North Liberty), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2018Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding1 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  3. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding2 households applied for aid$570 aid approved
  4. 2007Snow$1K to the Town of North Liberty for repairs
  5. 2000Snow$2K to the Town of North Liberty for repairs
  6. 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$4K to the Town of North Liberty for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in North LibertySt. Joseph County only

St. Joseph County has had 14 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of North Liberty after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the North Liberty archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what North Liberty faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in North Liberty

Is North Liberty at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Liberty has lower expected damage per building than 67% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%) and tornadoes (9%). 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 North Liberty flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in North Liberty since 1997, $19K in all, or 2.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 55% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is North Liberty 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 St. Joseph County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in North Liberty?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Liberty’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 North Liberty?

By FEMA money that reached North Liberty, Severe Storms and Flooding (2018): 4 households applied for aid, $7K approved.

Is North Liberty at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (82%), and North Liberty’s rate for it is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Liberty.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Liberty’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.