Storms, floods and disasters in Pelican Township
Pelican Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Pelican Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1997.
What Pelican 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.
Does Pelican Township flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Pelican Township, from FEMA’s records.
Pelican 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: Codington County.The storms Pelican Township remembers
None of the 20 disasters declared for Codington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Pelican Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20116 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for Codington County
- 19973 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Flooding, Sever Winter Storms,heavy Rains High Winds, declared for Codington County
- 20161 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm, declared for Codington County
Codington County has had 20 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 Pelican Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pelican Township archive →Pelican 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 369 |
| Kampeska Township | — | 227 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Oxford Township | — | 167 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Lake Township | — | 851 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sheridan Township | — | 445 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 Pelican 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 Pelican Township
Does Pelican Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Pelican Township since 1997, $136K in all.
Is Pelican 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 Codington County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pelican Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pelican Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pelican Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pelican 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.