Storms, floods and disasters in Helen Township
Helen Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Helen Township has 950 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Helen 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
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 Helen Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Helen Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Helen 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: McLeod County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Helen Township
Disasters that paid out in Helen Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Helen Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$9K to Helen Township for repairs
- 2010Flooding$11K to Helen Township for repairs
- 2002Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes$1K to Helen Township for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$9K to Helen Township for repairs
McLeod County has had 15 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 Helen Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Helen Township archive →Helen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glencoe | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Glencoe Township | — | 496 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Bergen Township | — | not graded yet | |
| Green Isle Township | — | 622 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Young America Township | — | 629 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| New Auburn Township | — | 353 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 Helen 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.
- 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 Helen Township
Is Helen 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 McLeod County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Helen Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Helen 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 Helen Township?
By FEMA money that reached Helen Township, Flooding (2010): $11K to Helen Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Helen Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Helen 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.