Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Ottawa Township
Ottawa Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Ottawa Township has 239 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1983.
What Ottawa 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
Strong wind
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 Ottawa Township flood? Sometimes: 13 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ottawa Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $20K
- The Severe flooding1 claim · $17K
Ottawa 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: Le Sueur County.The storms Ottawa Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Le Sueur County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ottawa Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20103 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Le Sueur County
- 19932 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, declared for Le Sueur County
- 20182 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Le Sueur County has had 16 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 Ottawa Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ottawa Township archive →Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasota Township | Bless damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Le Sueur | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Lake Prairie Township | — | 651 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sharon Township | — | 625 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Henderson Township | — | 929 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Tyrone Township | — | 506 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 Ottawa 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Ottawa Township
Does Ottawa Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 13 claims in Ottawa Township since 1983, $582K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).
Is Ottawa 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 Le Sueur County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Ottawa Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ottawa 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 Ottawa Township?
By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $20K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ottawa Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ottawa 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.