Storms, floods and disasters in Prior Township
Prior Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Prior Township has 303 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 28 claims here since 1997.
What Prior 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 Prior Township flood? Sometimes: 28 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Prior Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Severe flooding9 claims · $55K
Prior 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: Big Stone County.The storms Prior Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Big Stone County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Prior Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201014 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Big Stone County
- 20019 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, declared for Big Stone County
- 19973 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding, High Winds,severe Storms, declared for Big Stone County
Big Stone County has had 15 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 Prior Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Prior Township archive →Prior 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockwood Township | — | 314 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Almond Township | — | 117 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Big Stone Township | — | 243 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Foster Township | — | 130 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Toqua Township | — | 37 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 Prior 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 Prior Township
Does Prior Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 28 claims in Prior Township since 1997, $375K in all. The most claims came from Severe flooding (9).
Is Prior 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 Big Stone County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Prior Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Prior 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 Prior Township?
By flood claims, Severe flooding: 9 paid, $55K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Prior Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Prior 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.