Photo: publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Salem Township
Salem Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: Salem Township has 199 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 27 claims here since 1997.
What Salem 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 Salem Township flood? Sometimes: 27 flood claims since 1997
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Salem Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The June Midwest Flooding5 claims · $80K
Salem 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: McCook County.The storms Salem Township remembers
None of the 18 disasters declared for McCook County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Salem Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 201911 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for McCook County
- 20107 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, declared for McCook County
- 20247 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding, declared for McCook County
McCook County has had 18 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 Salem Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Salem Township archive →Salem 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 | — | 59 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Emery Township | — | 61 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Sun Prairie Township | — | 216 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Richland Township | — | 205 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 Salem 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 Salem Township
Does Salem Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 27 claims in Salem Township since 1997, $572K in all. The most claims came from June Midwest Flooding (5).
Is Salem 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 McCook County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Salem Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Salem 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 Salem Township?
By flood claims, June Midwest Flooding: 5 paid, $80K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Salem Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Salem 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.