Storms, floods and disasters in Higdem Township
Higdem Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Higdem Township has 84 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Higdem 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 Higdem Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Higdem Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Higdem 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.8 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Higdem Township
Disasters that paid out in Higdem Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Higdem Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$43K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$24K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$56K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 2010Flooding$32K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$57K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 2006Flooding$18K to Higdem Township for repairs
Show all 8
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$4K to Higdem Township for repairs
- 1999Severe Ice Storm and Flooding$1K to Higdem 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 Higdem Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Higdem Township archive →Higdem 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle River Township | — | 155 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Esther Township | — | 150 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Oak Park Township | — | 87 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sandsville Township | — | 82 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 Higdem 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 Higdem Township
Is Higdem 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 Higdem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Higdem 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 Higdem Township?
By FEMA money that reached Higdem Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2009): $57K to Higdem Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Higdem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Higdem 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.