FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Prairie Township than in 66% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Prairie Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns, #247 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then tornadoes (12%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1981.
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 Prairie 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
Hail
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 Prairie Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Prairie Township, and Prairie Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 12% (higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ #247 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Prairie Township’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Indiana town has lower expected damage than 60% of U.S. towns; within the state, Prairie Township has less expected damage per building than 58% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Prairie Township: $758K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Prairie Township flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Prairie Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Prairie 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: White County.The storms Prairie Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for White County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Prairie Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19852 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19811 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for White County
White County has had 15 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.
Old photos of Prairie Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Prairie Township archive →Prairie Township and its neighbors
Prairie Township is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tippecanoe Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 82 |
| Prairie Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Tippecanoe Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 387 |
| Round Grove Township | — | 282 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Big Creek Township | — | 742 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 Prairie 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.
- 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.
- 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 Prairie Township
Is Prairie Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Prairie Township has lower expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #247 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and tornadoes (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Prairie Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Prairie Township since 1981, $96K in all, or 4.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Prairie 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 White County, 13% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Prairie Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Prairie Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Prairie Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Prairie Township’s rate for it is lower than 52% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Prairie Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Prairie 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.