Storms, floods and disasters in Harriston Township
Harriston Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Harriston Township has 171 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 168 claims here since 1978.
What Harriston 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
Hail
Ice storms
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 Harriston Township flood? Yes: 168 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Harriston Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Severe flooding5 claims · $18K
- The Late spring storms2 claims · $10K
Harriston 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: Walsh County.The storms Harriston Township remembers
None of the 36 disasters declared for Walsh County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Harriston Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 1997100 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding,severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains, declared for Walsh County
- 197919 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Snowmelt and Flooding, declared for Walsh County
- 199611 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms,flooding, and Ice Jams, declared for Walsh County
Walsh County has had 36 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 Harriston Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Harriston Township archive →Harriston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardoch Township | — | 79 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pulaski Township | — | 52 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Minto | — | 718 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Walsh Centre Township | — | 214 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Oakwood Township | — | 194 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 Harriston 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.
- 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.
- Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
- Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
- Keep sand or salt by the door.
- 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 Harriston Township
Does Harriston Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 168 claims in Harriston Township since 1978, $1.1M in all. The most claims came from Severe flooding (5).
Is Harriston 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 Walsh County, 3% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Harriston Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Harriston 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 Harriston Township?
By flood claims, Severe flooding: 5 paid, $18K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Harriston Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Harriston 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.