On FEMA’s figures, Mapleton Township faces less hazard damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mapleton Township gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%), then tornadoes (21%). Flood insurance has paid 79 claims here since 1984.
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 stands out about Mapleton Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Mapleton 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
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 Mapleton Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 64% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mapleton Township, and Mapleton Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 21%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
B+ lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Mapleton Township’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Mapleton Township: $477K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Mapleton Township flood? Sometimes: 79 flood claims since 1984
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mapleton Township, from FEMA’s records: 87.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Midwest Flooding4 claims · $30K
- The Late spring storms2 claims · $12K
- The June Midwest Flooding1 claim · $8K
Mapleton 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: Minnehaha County.The storms Mapleton Township remembers
None of the 14 disasters declared for Minnehaha County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Mapleton Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201926 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Minnehaha County
- 201015 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Minnehaha County
- 199713 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds, declared for Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County has had 14 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 Mapleton Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mapleton Township archive →Mapleton Township and its neighbors
Mapleton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mapleton Township | B+less damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 79 |
| Sioux Falls | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | 153 |
| Benton Township | — | 737 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sverdrup Township | — | 861 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Brandon Township | — | 536 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Edison Township | — | 288 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 Mapleton 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.
- 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 Mapleton Township
Is Mapleton Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mapleton Township has lower expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (64%) and tornadoes (21%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Mapleton Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 79 claims in Mapleton Township since 1984, $895K in all, or 87.9 per 1,000 homes, more than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (4).
Is Mapleton 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 Minnehaha County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Mapleton Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Mapleton 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 Mapleton Township?
By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 4 paid, $30K.
Is Mapleton Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (64%), and Mapleton Township’s rate for it is lower than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mapleton Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mapleton 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.