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Natural hazard risk in Monroe County, Indiana

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 75.9 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$37.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1977
14[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$3.8 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
20[4]

FEMA rates the overall natural hazard risk for Monroe County, Indiana as Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 75.9 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in the county are strong wind, winter weather and earthquake[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties[7]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $37.9 million a year for Monroe County[1]. The largest hazard-type shares are inland flooding ($21.8 million a year), tornado ($4.7 million a year) and earthquake ($3.9 million a year)[8]. Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, and the index is not meant to predict next year's damage[7]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability as Relatively Low (score 30.0)[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience as Relatively High (score 61.8)[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Strong WindRelatively High$2.2 million[11]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$413,000[12]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$3.9 million[13]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.1 million[14]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$4.7 million[15]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$21.8 million[16]
HailRelatively Moderate$730,000[17]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$179,000[18]
LightningRelatively Moderate$388,000[19]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$1.4 million[20]
LandslideVery Low$1,894[21]
WildfireVery Low$16,000[22]
DroughtVery Low$24,000[23]
HurricaneVery Low$9,010[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Low30.0[9]
Community resilienceRelatively High61.8[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding as Relatively Moderate for Monroe County, with a Risk Index score of 80.8[16]. OpenFEMA lists 169 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 44,396 residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 16.4% of homes are insured[26]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data show 126 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $3.8 million in total[3]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the place to look up the flood zone for a specific address[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[16] Relatively Moderate, $21.8 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 169 of 44,396 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 506, of which 83 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 126 filed, $3.8 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Monroe County since 1977[2]. The most recent is EM-3641-IN, a severe winter storm declared on 2026-01-24[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 20 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4]. The strongest were rated EF3, and the most recent recorded tornado was on 2023-06-25[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Monroe County, since 1977
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 8
Flood[2] 2
Snowstorm[2] 2
Winter Storm[2] 1
Hurricane[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
EM-3641-IN[28] Severe Winter Storm 2026-01-24
DR-4704-IN[28] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes 2023-04-15
DR-1997-IN[28] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And 2011-06-23
DR-1766-IN[28] Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes 2008-06-08
EM-3238-IN[28] Hurricane Katrina Evacuation 2005-09-10

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Questions people ask

Is Monroe County, Indiana at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding as Relatively Moderate for Monroe County compared with other US counties[16]. FEMA lists inland flooding as the largest part of expected annual loss, at $21.8 million a year[8].
Does Monroe County, Indiana get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 20 tornadoes touching Monroe County from 1950 to 2024[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[15].
Is Monroe County, Indiana at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Low for Monroe County compared with other US counties, with a score of 87.6[13]. FEMA lists earthquake expected annual loss at $3.9 million a year[13].
How many federal disasters have been declared in Monroe County, Indiana?
OpenFEMA lists 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Monroe County since 1977[2]. Severe storms account for 8 of them[2].
How do I check the flood zone for an address in Monroe County?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[27]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Monroe County is $37.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 78.5). Of this, buildings account for $26.4 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $11.4... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 14 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Monroe County since 1977 (10 major disaster, 4 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 8, flood 2, snowstorm 2, winter storm 1, hurricane 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 126 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Monroe County, 96 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $3.8 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 20 recorded tornadoes touched Monroe County. The strongest were rated EF3 (most recent of them on 2023-03-31). 3 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2023-06-25. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Monroe County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 75.9 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Monroe County are strong wind (90.3, Relatively High), winter weather (89.3, Relatively High), earthquake (87.6, Relatively Low). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Monroe County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($21.8 million a year), tornado ($4.7 million a year), earthquake ($3.9 million a year), out of $37.9 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Monroe County is Relatively Low (score 30.0). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Monroe County is Relatively High (score 61.8). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 90.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 4.91 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 89.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $413,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 8.26 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 87.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.9 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0025 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 84.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 5.63 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 82.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.3 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 80.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $21.8 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.57 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of... FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 74.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $730,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 3.95 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 65.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $179,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.52 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 62.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $388,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 50.15 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 58.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.74 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 53.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1,894 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 31.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 29.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $24,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 2.97 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Monroe County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 23.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $9,010 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic Basin... FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Monroe County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 169 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Monroe County, out of 44,396 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.4%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 506 residential structures and 83 contracts, a rate... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.