Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect less hazard damage per building than Russell, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Russell gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1985.
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 Russell 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
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 Russell’s grade
River and rain flooding is 93% of the building damage FEMA expects in Russell, and Russell’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts.
A+ among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Russell’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $720K a year in losses across Russell: $191K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Russell flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1985
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Russell, from FEMA’s records: 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 69% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Russell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bayfield County.The storms Russell remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Bayfield County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Russell itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19851 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Bayfield County has had 9 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 Russell after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Russell archive →Russell and its neighbors
Russell has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Bayfield | — | 709 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 Russell 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.
- 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 Russell
Is Russell at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Russell has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (93%). 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 Russell flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Russell since 1985, $394 in all, or 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 69% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Russell 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 Bayfield County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Russell?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Russell’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Russell at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (93%), and Russell’s rate for it is lower than 92% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Russell.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Russell’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.