Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Wakeman Township than in 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wakeman Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, #562 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%), then tornadoes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1998.
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 Wakeman 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 Wakeman Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wakeman Township, and Wakeman Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 11% (higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts).
B+ #562 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Wakeman Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Wakeman Township has more expected damage per building than 57% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $793K a year in losses across Wakeman Township: $606K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Wakeman Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wakeman Township, from FEMA’s records: 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 54% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Late winter storms1 claim · $2K
Wakeman 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 Wakeman Township remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Huron County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Wakeman Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19981 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20041 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides, declared for Huron County
- 20111 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
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 Wakeman Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Wakeman Township archive →Wakeman Township and its neighbors
Wakeman Township is 3rd of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Clarksfield Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Wakeman Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Townsend Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Florence Township | Bless damage than 58% | 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 Wakeman 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 Wakeman Township
Is Wakeman Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wakeman Township has lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #562 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%) and tornadoes (11%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Wakeman Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Wakeman Township since 1998, $10K in all, or 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 54% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Late winter storms (1).
Is Wakeman 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 Wakeman Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wakeman 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 Wakeman Township?
By flood claims, Late winter storms: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Wakeman Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and Wakeman Township’s rate for it is lower than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wakeman Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wakeman 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.