FEMA puts Fargo Township’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 68% of U.S. towns, led by wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fargo Township gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (48%), then river and rain flooding (19%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1985.
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 Fargo Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Hail
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 Fargo Township’s grade
Wildfire is 48% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fargo Township, and Fargo Township’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 13%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
C higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Fargo Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.2M a year in losses across Fargo Township: $816K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Fargo Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fargo Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 61% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Fargo 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: Seward County.The storms Fargo Township remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Seward County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Fargo Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19851 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Seward County has had 9 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 Fargo Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fargo Township archive →Fargo Township and its neighbors
Fargo Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo Township | Cmore damage than 68% | wildfire | 1 |
| Liberal Township | — | 695 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Cimarron Township | — | 15 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Seward Township | — | 222 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 Fargo 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Fargo Township
Is Fargo Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fargo Township has higher expected damage per building than 68% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (48%) and river and rain flooding (19%). 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 Fargo Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Fargo Township since 1985, $17K in all, or 2.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 61% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Fargo 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 Seward County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Fargo Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fargo Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Fargo Township at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (48%), and Fargo Township’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fargo Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fargo 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.