Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Harris Township as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Harris Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns, #154 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Harris 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.
What’s behind Harris Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 94% of the building damage FEMA expects in Harris Township, and Harris Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #154 of 274 in Minnesota; lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Harris Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Minnesota town has lower expected damage than 57% of U.S. towns; within the state, Harris Township has more expected damage per building than 56% of Minnesota towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Harris Township: $810K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Harris Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Harris Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Harris 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: Itasca County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Harris Township
Disasters that paid out in Harris Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Harris Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$4K to Harris Township for repairs
- 2012Severe Storms and Flooding$3K to Harris Township for repairs
- 1999Severe Storms, Winds, and Flooding$1K to Harris Township for repairs
Itasca County has had 12 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 Harris Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Harris Township archive →Harris Township and its neighbors
Harris Township is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Harris Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Wildwood Township | — | 178 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Blackberry Township | — | 849 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Spang Township | — | 229 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 Harris 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 Harris Township
Is Harris Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Harris Township has lower expected damage per building than 53% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #154 of 274 in Minnesota. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (94%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Harris 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 Itasca County, 0.1% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Harris Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Harris 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 Harris Township?
By FEMA money that reached Harris Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2022): $4K to Harris Township for repairs.
Is Harris Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (94%), and Harris Township’s rate for it is higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Harris Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Harris 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.