Arlington Township’s building-damage rate from strong wind is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arlington Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then hail (17%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011.
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 Arlington 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
Hail
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Arlington Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Arlington Township, and Arlington Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 17%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Arlington Township’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $472K a year in losses across Arlington Township: $350K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Arlington Township flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Arlington Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 75% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Arlington 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: Van Buren County.The storms Arlington Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Van Buren County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Arlington Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20111 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Van Buren County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Arlington Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Arlington Township archive →Arlington Township and its neighbors
Arlington Township is 2nd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Township | B+less damage than 67% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Arlington Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Columbia Township | Bless damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Bangor | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Waverly Township | B−less damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Bangor Township | — | not graded yet | |
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 Arlington 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.
- 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.
- 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 Arlington Township
Is Arlington Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arlington Township has lower expected damage per building than 62% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and hail (17%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Arlington Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Arlington Township since 2011, $9K in all, or 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 75% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Arlington 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 Van Buren County, 6% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Arlington Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Arlington Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Arlington Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Arlington Township’s rate for it is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Arlington Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Arlington 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.