Fort Buford State Historic Site · Photo: FlintWestwood · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Buford Township
Buford Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Buford Township has 104 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1978.
What Buford 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
Winter storms
Hail
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); winter storms is FEMA’s “Winter Weather” (snow, sleet and freezing rain). 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 Buford Township flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Buford Township, from FEMA’s records.
Buford 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: Williams County.The storms Buford Township remembers
None of the 17 disasters declared for Williams County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Buford Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19782 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19972 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding,severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains, declared for Williams County
Williams County has had 17 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 Buford Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Buford Township archive →Buford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Township | — | 221 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Yellowstone Township | — | 474 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Hardscrabble Township | — | 19 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Trenton Township | — | 590 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Tri Township | — | 238 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 Buford 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.
- Keep a shovel, a blanket and snacks in the car.
- Clear snow from furnace and dryer vents.
- Check on older neighbors when the power goes out.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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 Buford Township
Does Buford Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Buford Township since 1978, $24K in all.
Is Buford 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 Williams County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Buford Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Buford Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Buford Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Buford 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.