Storms, floods and disasters in Athol Township
Athol Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Athol Township has 34 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.
What Athol 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
Wildfire
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 Athol Township flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Athol Township. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Athol 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: Spink County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Athol Township
Disasters that paid out in Athol Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Athol Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$9K aid approved
Spink County has had 20 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 Athol Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Athol Township archive →Athol 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groveland Township | — | 31 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Pioneer Township | — | 0 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Jefferson Township | — | 119 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Northville Township | — | 127 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Three Rivers Township | — | 129 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 Athol 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 Athol Township
Is Athol 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 Spink County, 3% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Athol Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Athol 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 Athol Township?
By FEMA money that reached Athol Township, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2007): 6 households applied for aid, $9K approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Athol Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Athol 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.