Photo: RussNelson · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Nicholson Township faces more hazard damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nicholson Township gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1979.
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 Nicholson 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.
What’s behind Nicholson Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Nicholson Township, and Nicholson Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
C− higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Nicholson Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $571K a year in losses across Nicholson Township: $525K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Nicholson Township flood? Sometimes: 39 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Nicholson Township, from FEMA’s records: 62.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Ivan6 claims · $100K
- Tropical Storm Lee3 claims · $144K
- Hurricane Debby1 claim · $15K
Nicholson 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: Wyoming County.The storms Nicholson Township remembers
None of the 21 disasters declared for Wyoming County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Nicholson Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201812 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Wyoming County
- 200610 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Wyoming County
- 20046 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Depression Ivan, declared for Wyoming County
Wyoming County has had 21 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.
Old photos of Nicholson Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Nicholson Township archive →Nicholson Township and its neighbors
Nicholson Township is 5th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springville Township | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Benton Township | A−less damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | 52 |
| Lenox Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Clinton Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Nicholson Township | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 39 |
| Lemon Township | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Lathrop Township | — | 695 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 Nicholson 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 Nicholson Township
Is Nicholson Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Nicholson Township has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). 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 Nicholson Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 39 claims in Nicholson Township since 1979, $1.3M in all, or 62.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 94% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Ivan (6).
Is Nicholson 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 Wyoming County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Nicholson Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Nicholson 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 Nicholson Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Ivan: 6 paid, $100K.
Is Nicholson Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Nicholson Township’s rate for it is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Nicholson Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Nicholson 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.