Thomas Stone Barn · Photo: KellyMeer · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA puts Brigham’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 63% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brigham gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then hail (14%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Brigham 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
Hail
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 Brigham’s grade
River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Brigham, and Brigham’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 14%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
B lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Brigham’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $506K a year in losses across Brigham: $332K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Brigham flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Brigham. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Brigham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Iowa County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brigham
Disasters that paid out in Brigham itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Brigham), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$9K to the Town of Brigham for repairs
- 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$12K to the Town of Brigham for repairs
Iowa 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 Brigham after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brigham archive →Brigham and its neighbors
Brigham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigham | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Arena | Cmore damage than 73% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Ridgeway | — | 508 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Moscow | — | 617 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Blue Mounds | — | 931 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 Brigham 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.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- 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 Brigham
Is Brigham at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brigham has lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and hail (14%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Brigham 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 Iowa County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brigham?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brigham’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 Brigham?
By FEMA money that reached Brigham, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): $12K to the Town of Brigham for repairs.
Is Brigham at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Brigham’s rate for it is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brigham.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brigham’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.