Storms, floods and disasters in Sherwood
Sherwood isn’t graded for hazard risk: Sherwood has 244 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Sherwood 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
Winter storms
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); 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 Sherwood flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Sherwood. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Sherwood isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Renville County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Sherwood
Disasters that paid out in Sherwood itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Sherwood), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Flooding29 households applied for aid$102K aid approved$5K to the City of Sherwood for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$4K to the City of Sherwood for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, and Ground Saturation$19K to the City of Sherwood for repairs
- 2000Severe Storms, Flooding and Ground Saturation$450 to the City of Sherwood for repairs
- 1999Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow, Ice, Ground Saturation, Lanslides, Mudslides, and Tor$52K to the City of Sherwood for repairs
Renville County has had 22 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 Sherwood after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sherwood archive →Sherwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colquhoun Township | — | 107 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Eden Valley Township | — | 28 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 Sherwood 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.
- 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.
- 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 Sherwood
Is Sherwood 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 Renville County, 0.4% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Sherwood?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sherwood’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 Sherwood?
By FEMA money that reached Sherwood, Flooding (2011): 29 households applied for aid, $102K approved, and $5K to the City of Sherwood for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sherwood.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sherwood’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.