Storms, floods and disasters in Decatur Township
Decatur Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Decatur Township has 632 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2000.
What Decatur 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
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 Decatur Township flood? Sometimes: 16 flood claims since 2000
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Decatur Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $34K
Decatur 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: Lawrence County.The storms Decatur Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Lawrence County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Decatur Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20113 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Lawrence County
- 20173 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20082 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Lawrence County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Decatur Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Decatur Township archive →Decatur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | 28 |
| Elizabeth Township | B−more damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Vernon Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Washington Township | — | 237 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Symmes Township | — | 281 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 Decatur 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.
- 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 Decatur Township
Does Decatur Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 16 claims in Decatur Township since 2000, $167K in all. The most claims came from Central U.S. April Flooding (1).
Is Decatur 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 Lawrence County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Decatur Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Decatur 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 Decatur Township?
By flood claims, Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 paid, $34K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Decatur Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Decatur 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.