Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Rugby’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 92% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rugby gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (49%), then strong wind (11%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Rugby 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
Strong wind
Tornadoes
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.
What’s behind Rugby’s grade
River and rain flooding is 49% of the building damage FEMA expects in Rugby, and Rugby’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 95% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 11%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
A lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Rugby’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Rugby: $749K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Rugby flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Rugby. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Rugby isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pierce County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Rugby
Disasters that paid out in Rugby itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Rugby), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2017Flooding$48K to the City of Rugby for repairs
- 2011Flooding5 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
- 2009Severe Storms and Flooding14 households applied for aid$37K aid approved
Pierce County has had 20 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 Rugby after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Rugby archive →Rugby and its neighbors
Rugby has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby | Aless damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Torgerson Township | — | 84 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Meyer Township | — | 155 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 Rugby 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
- 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 Rugby
Is Rugby at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Rugby has lower expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (49%) and strong wind (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Rugby 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 Pierce County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Rugby?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Rugby’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 Rugby?
By FEMA money that reached Rugby, Flooding (2017): $48K to the City of Rugby for repairs.
Is Rugby at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (49%), and Rugby’s rate for it is lower than 95% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Rugby.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Rugby’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.