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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Wiser Township · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Wiser Township

Wiser Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Wiser Township has 42 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1979.

Flood claims
33
paid since 1979 · $309K
Flooded more than once
2
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
0
of 30 declared for Cass County
By hazard

What Wiser 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

56%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Strong wind

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms top 0% Wildfire Earthquakes Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts strong wind at 34% of Wiser Township’s expected losses. Strong wind does little damage to buildings (8.2%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Wiser Township flood? Sometimes: 33 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wiser Township, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 2 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 1 claim1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 12 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 2 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 2 claims2010: 4 claims2011: 5 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 2 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199720102011
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Severe flooding2 claims · $9K
  • The Late spring storms1 claim · $4K
33
paid claims since 1979
$309K
paid to owners
2
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Wiser 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: Cass County.
Disasters

The storms Wiser Township remembers

None of the 30 disasters declared for Cass County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Wiser Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 199712 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding,severe Winter Storms, Snowmelt, Spring Rains, declared for Cass County
  2. 20115 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Cass County
  3. 20104 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Cass County
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Wiser TownshipCass County only

Cass County has had 30 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Wiser Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Wiser Township archive →
Next door

Wiser Township and its neighbors

How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Georgetown Township: not gradedGardner Township: not gradedHarwood Township: not gradedKragnes Township: not gradedNoble Township: not gradedGeorgetown TownshipGardner TownshipHarwood TownshipKragnes TownshipNoble TownshipWiser Township
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Georgetown Township—116 residents; we grade 1,000+
Gardner Township—120 residents; we grade 1,000+
Harwood Township—289 residents; we grade 1,000+
Kragnes Township—218 residents; we grade 1,000+
Noble Township—45 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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Wiser 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.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Wiser Township

Does Wiser Township flood?

Flood insurance has paid 33 claims in Wiser Township since 1979, $309K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Severe flooding (2).

Is Wiser 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 Cass County, 49% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Wiser Township?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wiser 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 Wiser Township?

By flood claims, Severe flooding: 2 paid, $9K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wiser Township.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wiser 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.