Storms, floods and disasters in Preble Township
Preble Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Preble Township has 198 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1998.
What Preble 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 Preble Township flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Preble Township, from FEMA’s records.
Preble 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: Fillmore County.6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Preble Township
Disasters that paid out in Preble Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Preble Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$46K to Preble Township for repairs
- 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$40K to Preble Township for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$109K to Preble Township for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
- 2008Severe Storms and Flooding$37K to Preble Township for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding$53K to Preble Township for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms and Flooding$26K to Preble Township for repairs
Fillmore County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Preble Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Preble Township archive →Preble 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Township | — | 400 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Black Hammer Township | — | 269 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Newburg Township | — | 381 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Norway Township | — | 365 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 Preble 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 Preble Township
Does Preble Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Preble Township since 1998, $53K in all.
Is Preble 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 Fillmore County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Preble Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Preble 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 Preble Township?
By FEMA money that reached Preble Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2013): $109K to Preble Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Preble Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Preble 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.