Saint Henry's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Cemetery · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0Storms, floods and disasters in Laird Township
Laird Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Laird Township has 389 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2014.
What Laird 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
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 Laird Township flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Laird Township, from FEMA’s records.
Laird 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: Houghton County.The storms Laird Township remembers
None of the 6 disasters declared for Houghton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Laird Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20184 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared for Houghton County
- 20141 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Houghton County has had 6 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 Laird Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Laird Township archive →Laird 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Baraga Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Bohemia Township | — | 61 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Duncan Township | — | 203 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Elm River Township | — | 251 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Stannard Township | — | 656 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 Laird 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.
- 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 Laird Township
Does Laird Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Laird Township since 2014, $117K in all.
Is Laird 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 Houghton County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Laird Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Laird Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Laird Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Laird 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.