Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in St. Joseph Township than in 64% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns, #264 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 66 claims here since 1978.
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 stands out about St. Joseph Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What St. Joseph 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
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 St. Joseph Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Joseph Township, and St. Joseph Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 15% (higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts).
B #264 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. Joseph Township’s residents live in 20 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, St. Joseph Township has less expected damage per building than 56% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $15.1M a year in losses across St. Joseph Township: $11.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. Joseph Township flood? Sometimes: 66 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Joseph Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 61% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
St. Joseph 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: Allen County.The storms St. Joseph Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Allen County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching St. Joseph Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201323 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 198216 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Allen County
- 19816 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Allen County has had 15 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 St. Joseph Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. Joseph Township archive →St. Joseph Township and its neighbors
St. Joseph Township is 4th of the 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 31 |
| Perry Township | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Adams Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 126 |
| St. Joseph Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 66 |
| New Haven | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Cedar Creek Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Milan Township | Bless damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Fort Wayne | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 1,148 |
| Wayne Township | Cmore damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 1,022 |
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 St. Joseph 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.
- 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 St. Joseph Township
Is St. Joseph Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph Township has lower expected damage per building than 64% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #264 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. Joseph Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 66 claims in St. Joseph Township since 1978, $907K in all, or 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 61% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is St. Joseph 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 Allen County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. Joseph Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Joseph Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is St. Joseph Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and St. Joseph Township’s rate for it is higher than 54% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Joseph Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. Joseph 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.