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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Prairie Creek Township · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Prairie Creek Township

Prairie Creek Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Prairie Creek Township has 249 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1982.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1982 · $3K
Disasters paid out here
1
of 12 declared for Merrick County
By hazard

What Prairie Creek 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

62%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Strong wind

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 3% Wildfire Winter storms top 2% Earthquakes Lightning Cold waves Heat waves top 2% 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 hail at 35% of Prairie Creek Township’s expected losses. Hail does little damage to buildings (7.9%), 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 Prairie Creek Township flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1982

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1982: 1 claim1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19821993
19822026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $2K
2
paid claims since 1982
$3K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$1K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Prairie Creek 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: Merrick County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Prairie Creek Township

Disasters that paid out in Prairie Creek Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Prairie Creek Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2019Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$27K to Prairie Creek Township for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Prairie Creek TownshipMerrick County only

Merrick County has had 12 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 Prairie Creek Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Prairie Creek Township archive →
Next door

Prairie Creek Township and its neighbors

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

Loup Township: not gradedLone Tree Township: not gradedChapman Township: not gradedLoup TownshipLone Tree TownshipChapman TownshipPrairie Creek Township
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Loup Township—614 residents; we grade 1,000+
Lone Tree Township—590 residents; we grade 1,000+
Chapman Township—513 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 Prairie Creek 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 Prairie Creek Township

Does Prairie Creek Township flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Prairie Creek Township since 1982, $3K in all. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).

Is Prairie Creek 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 Merrick 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 Prairie Creek Township?

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

By FEMA money that reached Prairie Creek Township, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2019): $27K to Prairie Creek Township for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $2K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Prairie Creek Township.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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