Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Norwalk Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 70% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Norwalk Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns, #616 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then tornadoes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1981.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Norwalk 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
Tornadoes
Hail
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.
What’s behind Norwalk Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Norwalk Township, and Norwalk Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 11% (higher than 74% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ #616 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Norwalk Township’s residents live in 7 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Norwalk Township has more expected damage per building than 62% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $932K a year in losses across Norwalk Township: $706K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Norwalk Township flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Norwalk Township, from FEMA’s records: 11.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 76% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Late winter storms3 claims · $71K
- Tropical Storm Erin1 claim · $14K
Norwalk 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: Huron County.The storms Norwalk Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Huron County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Norwalk Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20063 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding, declared for Huron County
- 20113 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20123 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, declared for Huron County
Huron County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Norwalk Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Norwalk Township archive →Norwalk Township and its neighbors
Norwalk Township is 2nd of the 6 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Townsend Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Norwalk Township | B+less damage than 70% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Bronson Township | B+less damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Norwalk | B+less damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 20 |
| Ridgefield Township | Bless damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Milan Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Norwalk 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Norwalk Township
Is Norwalk Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Norwalk Township has lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #616 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and tornadoes (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Norwalk Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Norwalk Township since 1981, $356K in all, or 11.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 76% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Late winter storms (3).
Is Norwalk 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 Huron County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Norwalk Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Norwalk 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 Norwalk Township?
By flood claims, Late winter storms: 3 paid, $71K.
Is Norwalk Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Norwalk Township’s rate for it is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Norwalk Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Norwalk 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.