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Norseland General StoreNorseland General Store · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Lake Prairie Township · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Lake Prairie Township

Lake Prairie Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Lake Prairie Township has 651 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
5
of 18 declared for Nicollet County
By hazard

What Lake Prairie 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

70%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Tornadoes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Strong wind

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Winter storms top 3% Ice storms Earthquakes Wildfire Heat waves top 3% Lightning Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 13% of Lake Prairie Township’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Lake Prairie Township flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Lake Prairie Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Lake Prairie 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: Nicollet County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lake Prairie Township

Disasters that paid out in Lake Prairie Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Lake Prairie Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2024Severe Storms and Flooding$27K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$49K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs
  3. 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$42K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs
  4. 2010Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$41K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs
  5. 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$13K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Lake Prairie TownshipNicollet County only

Nicollet County has had 18 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Lake Prairie Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Lake Prairie Township archive →
Next door

Lake Prairie Township and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Ottawa Township: not gradedTraverse Township: not gradedNew Sweden Township: not gradedHenderson Township: not gradedKelso Township: not gradedOttawa TownshipTraverse TownshipNew Sweden TownshipHenderson TownshipKelso TownshipLake Prairie Township
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Ottawa Township—239 residents; we grade 1,000+
Traverse Township—291 residents; we grade 1,000+
New Sweden Township—284 residents; we grade 1,000+
Henderson Township—929 residents; we grade 1,000+
Kelso Township—356 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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Lake Prairie 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.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Lake Prairie Township

Is Lake Prairie 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 Nicollet County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Lake Prairie Township?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lake Prairie 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 Lake Prairie Township?

By FEMA money that reached Lake Prairie Township, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): $49K to Lake Prairie Township for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lake Prairie Township.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lake Prairie 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.