Storms, floods and disasters in Vernon Township
Vernon Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Vernon Township has 324 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1979.
What Vernon 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 Vernon Township flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Vernon Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Thunderstorms2 claims · $102K
Vernon 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: Cowley County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Vernon Township
Disasters that paid out in Vernon Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Vernon Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides$49K to Vernon Township for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
- 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$59K to Vernon Township for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$41K to Vernon Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$10K to Vernon Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes$11K to Vernon Township for repairs
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding$15K to Vernon Township for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
Show all 7
- 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$6K to Vernon Township for repairs
Cowley County has had 24 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 Vernon Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Vernon Township archive →Vernon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winfield | C+more damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Oxford Township | Cmore damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Walnut Township | — | 826 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Ninnescah Township | — | 964 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Beaver Township | — | 205 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pleasant Valley Township | — | 978 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 Vernon 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 Vernon Township
Does Vernon Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Vernon Township since 1979, $951K in all. The most claims came from Thunderstorms (2).
Is Vernon 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 Cowley County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Vernon Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Vernon 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 Vernon Township?
By FEMA money that reached Vernon Township, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2015): $59K to Vernon Township for repairs. By flood claims, Thunderstorms: 2 paid, $102K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Vernon Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Vernon 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.