FEMA puts Reading Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 73% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Reading Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then tornadoes (16%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 2009.
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 Reading 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
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 Reading Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Reading Township, and Reading Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 16% (higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Reading Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $519K a year in losses across Reading Township: $382K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Reading Township flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 2009
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Reading Township, from FEMA’s records: 5.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2026-04-Flooding1 claim · $34K
Reading 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: Hillsdale County.The storms Reading Township remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Hillsdale County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Reading Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20183 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20091 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20111 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Hillsdale County has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Reading Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Reading Township archive →Reading Township and its neighbors
Reading Township is 3rd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Township | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Allen Township | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Reading Township | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Cambria Township | B+less damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Algansee Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Reading 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.
- 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 Reading Township
Is Reading Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Reading Township has lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and tornadoes (16%). 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 Reading Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Reading Township since 2009, $169K in all, or 5.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from 2026-04-Flooding (1).
Is Reading 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 Hillsdale County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Reading Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Reading 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 Reading Township?
By flood claims, 2026-04-Flooding: 1 paid, $34K.
Is Reading Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Reading Township’s rate for it is lower than 58% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Reading Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Reading 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.