Storms, floods and disasters in Alden
Alden isn’t graded for hazard risk: Alden has 629 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Alden 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
Strong wind
Hail
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 Alden flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Alden. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Alden isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Freeborn County.7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Alden
Disasters that paid out in Alden itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Alden), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storms and Flooding8 households applied for aid$14K aid approved
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$13K to the City of Alden for repairs
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$16K to the City of Alden for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$7K to the City of Alden for repairs
- 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$6K to the City of Alden for repairs
Show all 7
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding31 households applied for aid$55K aid approved$2K to the City of Alden for repairs
Freeborn County has had 18 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 Alden after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Alden archive →Alden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlston Township | — | 277 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Alden Township | — | 298 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 Alden 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
- 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 Alden
Is Alden 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 Freeborn County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Alden?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Alden’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 Alden?
By FEMA money that reached Alden, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 31 households applied for aid, $55K approved, and $2K to the City of Alden for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Alden.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Alden’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.