Storms, floods and disasters in Des Moines Township
Des Moines Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Des Moines Township has 234 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Des Moines 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.
Does Des Moines Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Des Moines Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Des Moines 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: Jackson County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Des Moines Township
Disasters that paid out in Des Moines Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Des Moines Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$24K to Des Moines Township for repairs
- 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$12K to Des Moines Township for repairs
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$35K to Des Moines Township for repairs
Jackson County has had 15 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 Des Moines Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Des Moines Township archive →Des Moines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | C+more damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Hunter Township | — | 220 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Belmont Township | — | 206 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Middletown Township | — | 313 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Wisconsin Township | — | 170 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 Des Moines 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 Des Moines Township
Is Des Moines 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 Jackson County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Des Moines Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Des Moines 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 Des Moines Township?
By FEMA money that reached Des Moines Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2014): $35K to Des Moines Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Des Moines Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Des Moines 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.