US Post Office-Horton · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0For tornadoes, Horton’s building-damage rate is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Horton gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then tornadoes (20%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Horton 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
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 Horton’s grade
River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Horton, and Horton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 20%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Horton’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.4M a year in losses across Horton: $839K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Horton flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Horton. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Horton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Brown County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Horton
Disasters that paid out in Horton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Horton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$1K to the City of Horton for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$1K to the City of Horton for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes$3K to the City of Horton for repairs
- 2007Severe Winter Storms$139K to the City of Horton for repairs
- 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$2K to the City of Horton for repairs
Brown 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 Horton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Horton archive →Horton and its neighbors
Horton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horton | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Mission Township | — | 641 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 Horton 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.
- 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 Horton
Is Horton at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Horton has higher expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and tornadoes (20%). 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.
Is Horton 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 Brown County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Horton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Horton’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 Horton?
By FEMA money that reached Horton, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $139K to the City of Horton for repairs.
Is Horton at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Horton’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Horton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Horton’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.