Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Washington Township
Washington Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Washington Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 23 claims here since 1988.
What Washington 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
Hurricanes
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 Washington Township flood? Sometimes: 23 flood claims since 1988
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Washington Township, from FEMA’s records.
- Hurricane Floyd3 claims · $20K
- Hurricane Irene3 claims · $50K
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $12K
Washington 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: Warren County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Washington Township
Disasters that paid out in Washington Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Washington Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2021Remnants of Hurricane Ida56 households applied for aid$96K aid approved
- 2012Hurricane Sandy191 households applied for aid$29K aid approved1 flood claim paid for it, $6K
- 2011Hurricane Irene117 households applied for aid$237K aid approved3 flood claims paid for it, $50K
- 2004Severe Storms and Flooding9 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
Warren County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then hurricanes and tropical storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees; the 2001 World Trade Center declarations.
Old photos of Washington Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Washington Township archive →Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Mansfield Township | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 17 |
| Bethlehem Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Franklin Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| Lebanon Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 51 |
| Hampton | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Anderson | — | 607 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 Washington 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.
- The season runs June through November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October.
- Bring in porch furniture and anything the wind can throw.
- Fill the gas tank and charge phones before the storm arrives.
- 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 Washington Township
Does Washington Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 23 claims in Washington Township since 1988, $196K in all. The most claims came from Hurricane Floyd (3).
Is Washington 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 Warren County, 47% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Washington Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Washington 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 Washington Township?
By FEMA money that reached Washington Township, Hurricane Irene (2011): 117 households applied for aid, $237K approved. By flood claims, Hurricane Floyd: 3 paid, $20K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Washington Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Washington 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.