For strong wind, Ferry Township’s building-damage rate is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ferry Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then strong wind (17%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1979.
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 Ferry 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
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 Ferry Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ferry Township, and Ferry Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 17%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Ferry Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $493K a year in losses across Ferry Township: $319K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Ferry Township flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ferry Township, from FEMA’s records: 12.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 77% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2026-04-Flooding2 claims · $83K
Ferry 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: Oceana County.The storms Ferry Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Oceana County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ferry Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19862 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Oceana County
- 20262 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Oceana County
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Oceana County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Ferry Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ferry Township archive →Ferry Township and its neighbors
Ferry Township is 4th of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Elbridge Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Newfield Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Ferry Township | B−less damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Otto Township | — | 864 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 Ferry 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.
- 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 Ferry Township
Is Ferry Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ferry Township has lower expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and strong wind (17%). 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 Ferry Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Ferry Township since 1979, $123K in all, or 12.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 77% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from 2026-04-Flooding (2).
Is Ferry 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 Oceana County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Ferry Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ferry 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 Ferry Township?
By flood claims, 2026-04-Flooding: 2 paid, $83K.
Is Ferry Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and Ferry Township’s rate for it is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ferry Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ferry 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.