Bethelhem Lutheran Church · Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Nordland Township faces more hazard damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nordland Township gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). 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 Nordland 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 Nordland Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Nordland Township, and Nordland Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Nordland Township’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $863K a year in losses across Nordland Township: $582K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Nordland Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Nordland Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Nordland 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: Aitkin County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Nordland Township
Disasters that paid out in Nordland Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Nordland Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2012Severe Storms and Flooding$30K to Nordland Township for repairs
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$15K to Nordland Township for repairs
Aitkin County has had 17 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 Nordland Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Nordland Township archive →Nordland Township and its neighbors
Nordland Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordland Township | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Farm Island Township | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Glen Township | — | 499 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Wealthwood Township | — | 254 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Spencer Township | — | 562 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 Nordland 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 Nordland Township
Is Nordland Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nordland Township has higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Nordland 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 Aitkin County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Nordland Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Nordland 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 Nordland Township?
By FEMA money that reached Nordland Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2012): $30K to Nordland Township for repairs.
Is Nordland Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Nordland Township’s rate for it is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Nordland Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Nordland 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.