For strong wind, Trenton’s building-damage rate is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Trenton gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 39 claims here since 1986.
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 Trenton 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
Strong wind
Hail
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 Trenton’s grade
River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Trenton, and Trenton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Trenton’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.0M a year in losses across Trenton: $750K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Trenton flood? Sometimes: 39 flood claims since 1986
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Trenton, from FEMA’s records: 55.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Severe flooding12 claims · $103K
- The March 2019 Midwest Flooding1 claim · $78K
Trenton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pierce County.The storms Trenton remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Pierce County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Trenton itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200113 flood claims paidThe year of Flooding, Severe Storms and Tornadoes, declared for Pierce County
- 19979 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19933 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding, declared for Pierce County
Pierce County has had 10 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 Trenton after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Trenton archive →Trenton and its neighbors
Trenton is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trimbelle | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Trenton | B−more damage than 51% | river and rain flooding | 39 |
| Red Wing | B−more damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 22 |
| Hartland | — | 818 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Diamond Bluff | — | 451 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 Trenton 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
- 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 Trenton
Is Trenton at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Trenton has higher expected damage per building than 51% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and tornadoes (15%). 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 Trenton flood?
Flood insurance has paid 39 claims in Trenton since 1986, $554K in all, or 55.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Severe flooding (12).
Is Trenton 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 Pierce County, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Trenton?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Trenton’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 Trenton?
By flood claims, Severe flooding: 12 paid, $103K.
Is Trenton at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Trenton’s rate for it is higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Trenton.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Trenton’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.