Storms, floods and disasters in Charleston Township
Charleston Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Charleston Township has 82 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Charleston 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
Wildfire
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.
Does Charleston Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Charleston Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Charleston 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: Washington County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Charleston Township
Disasters that paid out in Charleston Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Charleston Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides$62K to Charleston Township for repairs
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$31K to Charleston Township for repairs
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$14K to Charleston Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$13K to Charleston Township for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$11K to Charleston Township for repairs
Washington County has had 16 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.
Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Washington County, 2023–2023.
Old photos of Charleston Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Charleston Township archive →Charleston Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover Township | — | 960 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Franklin Township | — | 161 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Farmington Township | — | 137 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Logan Township | — | 43 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 Charleston 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 Charleston Township
Is Charleston 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 Washington County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Charleston Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Charleston 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 Charleston Township?
By FEMA money that reached Charleston Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides (2019): $62K to Charleston Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Charleston Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Charleston 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.