FEMA puts Jefferson Township’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 88% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jefferson Township gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 88% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2014.
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 Jefferson 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.
What’s behind Jefferson Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 74% of the building damage FEMA expects in Jefferson Township, and Jefferson Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
D higher expected damage per building than 88% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Jefferson Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Jefferson Township: $861K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Jefferson Township flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 2014
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Jefferson Township, from FEMA’s records: 21.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The June Midwest Flooding6 claims · $1.1M
Jefferson 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: Union County.The storms Jefferson Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Union County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Jefferson Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20246 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, declared for Union County
- 20142 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Union County
- 20191 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Union County
Union County has had 16 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Jefferson Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Jefferson Township archive →Jefferson Township and its neighbors
Jefferson Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Township | Dmore damage than 88% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Big Sioux Township | Dmore damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 27 |
| Civil Bend Township | — | 191 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Elk Point Township | — | 91 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township
Is Jefferson Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jefferson Township has higher expected damage per building than 88% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (74%) and tornadoes (15%). 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 Jefferson Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Jefferson Township since 2014, $1.3M in all, or 21.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from June Midwest Flooding (6).
Is Jefferson 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 Union County, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Jefferson Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Jefferson 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 Jefferson Township?
By flood claims, June Midwest Flooding: 6 paid, $1.1M.
Is Jefferson Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (74%), and Jefferson Township’s rate for it is in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Jefferson Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Jefferson 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.