Trinity Episcopal Church · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Stockton
Stockton isn’t graded for hazard risk: Stockton has 811 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1991.
What Stockton 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 Stockton flood? Sometimes: 26 flood claims since 1991
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Stockton, from FEMA’s records.
Stockton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Winona County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Stockton
Disasters that paid out in Stockton itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Stockton), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Storms and Flooding48 households applied for aid$468K aid approved$271K to the City of Stockton for repairs20 flood claims paid that year
Winona County has had 14 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 Stockton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Stockton archive →Stockton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale Township | — | 833 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Warren Township | — | 540 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 Stockton 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 Stockton
Does Stockton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 26 claims in Stockton since 1991, $1.3M in all.
Is Stockton 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 Winona County, 0.5% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Stockton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Stockton’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 Stockton?
By FEMA money that reached Stockton, Severe Storms and Flooding (2007): 48 households applied for aid, $468K approved, and $271K to the City of Stockton for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Stockton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Stockton’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.