Storms, floods and disasters in O'Brien Township
O'Brien Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: O'Brien Township has 43 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What O'Brien 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
Wildfire
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 O'Brien Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in O'Brien Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
O'Brien 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: Beltrami County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to O'Brien Township
Disasters that paid out in O'Brien Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to O'Brien Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Storms and Flooding$3K to O'Brien Township for repairs
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$825 to O'Brien Township for repairs
Beltrami 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.
Old photos of O'Brien Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the O'Brien Township archive →O'Brien 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebish Township | — | 236 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Quiring Township | — | 81 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Langor Township | — | 197 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Hagali Township | — | 399 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 O'Brien 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 O'Brien Township
Is O'Brien 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 Beltrami County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in O'Brien Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for O'Brien 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 O'Brien Township?
By FEMA money that reached O'Brien Township, Severe Storms and Flooding (2011): $3K to O'Brien Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in O'Brien Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where O'Brien 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.