Storms, floods and disasters in Otto Township
Otto Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Otto Township has 565 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2001.
What Otto 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
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 Otto Township flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2001
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Otto Township, from FEMA’s records.
Otto 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: Otter Tail County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Otto Township
Disasters that paid out in Otto Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Otto Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2001Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$13K to Otto Township for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Otter Tail County has had 14 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 Otto Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Otto Township archive →Otto 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Lake Township | B−more damage than 50% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Newton Township | — | 728 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pine Lake Township | — | 703 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Leaf Lake Township | — | 620 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 Otto 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.
- 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 Otto Township
Does Otto Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Otto Township since 2001, $39K in all.
Is Otto 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 Otter Tail County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Otto Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Otto 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 Otto Township?
By FEMA money that reached Otto Township, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2001): $13K to Otto Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Otto Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Otto 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.