Ward Township District No. 5 School · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, Ward Township faces more hazard damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ward Township gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (79%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2017.
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 Ward 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 Ward Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 79% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ward Township, and Ward Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 14%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Ward Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $485K a year in losses across Ward Township: $415K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Ward Township flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2017
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ward Township, from FEMA’s records: 9.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Ward 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: Randolph County.The storms Ward Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Randolph County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ward Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20192 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20171 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20201 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Randolph County has had 16 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 Ward Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ward Township archive →Ward Township and its neighbors
Ward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White River Township | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Ward Township | C+more damage than 65% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Franklin Township | Cmore damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Jackson Township | — | 453 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pike Township | — | 737 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 Ward 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 Ward Township
Is Ward Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ward Township has higher expected damage per building than 65% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (79%) and tornadoes (14%). 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 Ward Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Ward Township since 2017, $21K in all, or 9.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Ward 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 Randolph County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Ward Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ward Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Ward Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (79%), and Ward Township’s rate for it is higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ward Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ward 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.