Y Covered Bridge No. 156 · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Sugarloaf Township
Sugarloaf Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Sugarloaf Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2011.
What Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf Township flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2011
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Sugarloaf Township, from FEMA’s records.
- Tropical Storm Lee3 claims · $206K
Sugarloaf 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: Columbia County.The storms Sugarloaf Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Columbia County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Sugarloaf Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20114 flood claims paidThe year of Tropical Storm Lee, declared for Columbia County
- 20181 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Columbia County
Columbia County has had 16 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 Sugarloaf Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Sugarloaf Township archive →Sugarloaf 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Township | C−more damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 249 |
| Jackson Township | — | 655 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Davidson Township | — | 565 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 Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf Township
Does Sugarloaf Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Sugarloaf Township since 2011, $242K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Lee (3).
Is Sugarloaf 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 Columbia County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Sugarloaf Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Sugarloaf 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 Sugarloaf Township?
By flood claims, Tropical Storm Lee: 3 paid, $206K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Sugarloaf Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Sugarloaf 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.