Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Wadena Township
Wadena Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Wadena Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2014.
What Wadena 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 Wadena Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wadena Township, from FEMA’s records.
Wadena 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: Wadena County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wadena Township
Disasters that paid out in Wadena Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Wadena Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2014Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$11K to Wadena Township for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding$2K to Wadena Township for repairs
Wadena County has had 11 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 Wadena Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Wadena Township archive →Wadena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadena | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Leaf River Township | — | 804 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Aldrich Township | — | 679 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Stowe Prairie Township | — | 439 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Compton Township | — | 804 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 Wadena 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 Wadena Township
Does Wadena Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Wadena Township since 2014, $7K in all.
Is Wadena 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 Wadena County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Wadena Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wadena 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 Wadena Township?
By FEMA money that reached Wadena Township, Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2014): $11K to Wadena Township for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wadena Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wadena 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.