Storms, floods and disasters in Fairfax Township
Fairfax Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Fairfax Township has 172 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1979.
What Fairfax 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 Fairfax Township flood? Sometimes: 15 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fairfax Township, from FEMA’s records.
Fairfax 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: Polk County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fairfax Township
Disasters that paid out in Fairfax Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Fairfax Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2010Flooding$5K to Fairfax Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$6K to Fairfax Township for repairs
- 2006Flooding$2K to Fairfax Township for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes$2K to Fairfax Township for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$3K to Fairfax Township for repairs
- 1999Severe Ice Storm and Flooding$1K to Fairfax Township for repairs
Polk County has had 26 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Fairfax Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fairfax Township archive →Fairfax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crookston | C−more damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 48 |
| Andover Township | — | 119 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Kertsonville Township | — | 81 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Crookston Township | — | 511 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Russia Township | — | 52 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 Fairfax 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 Fairfax Township
Does Fairfax Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 15 claims in Fairfax Township since 1979, $31K in all.
Is Fairfax 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 Polk County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Fairfax Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fairfax 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 Fairfax Township?
By FEMA money that reached Fairfax Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): $6K to Fairfax Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fairfax Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fairfax 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.