26 flood insurance claims·$371,586 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Clinton County, Indiana. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding and river flooding from slow-moving summer thunderstorms dominate the flood risk in Clinton County, Indiana, based on 21 flood events and 18 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years in the NOAA Storm Events database.
Historical events illustrate this weather pattern. On April 30, 2019, heavy rain from showers and embedded thunderstorms impacted the Frankfort area, resulting in local flooding. Later, on June 13, 2022, high instability and a slowly advancing warm frontal zone produced widespread afternoon thunderstorms and isolated flash flooding across north-central portions of central Indiana.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate claims across multiple zones, with Zone A recording 16 claims averaging a payout of $22,325 with an average recorded water depth of 10 inches. Zone X recorded 7 claims averaging a payout of $16,689 with an average recorded water depth of 16 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims averaging a payout of $441 with an average recorded water depth of 1 inch, and Zone UNKNOWN recorded 1 claim averaging a payout of $2,675 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches. Property owners in designated flood hazard areas such as Zone A, as well as those in moderate-to-low risk areas like Zone X, should pay close attention to these risks given historical claim activity and recorded water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 10 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2004, with 6 claims and $70,244 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
9 NOAA storm reports from Clinton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Mar 31, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 5, 2014 |
| Snow | Feb 12, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Jan 1, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 4, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
39 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 21 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 13, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2019 | $250 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2019 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Sep 25, 2018 | $500 |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | $500 |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2018 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2013 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 13, 2022. Hot and extremely humid surface conditions provided very high instability, while a slowly- advancing warm frontal zone promoted ample vertical wind shear, which led to widespread afternoon thunderstorms along and north of the I-74 corridor. Storms produced isolated flash flooding as well as marginally-severe winds and hail, over both north-central and east-central portions of central Indiana.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2021. During the overnight hours from June 30th to July 1st, a series of slow moving thunderstorms moved across portions of Indiana causing isolated pockets of flash flooding. There were several reports of rainfall amounts over 3 inches with widespread areas of 2-3 inches. The most significant flash flooding occurred in far eastern Fountain County where State Road 32 was shut down for several weeks after a section of t…
Flood · Apr 30, 2019. Showers and thunderstorms developed across the southern half of Illinois and western portions of central Indiana during the evening of April the 30th. Some small hail was observed in one of the stronger storms, while flooding took place in Clinton County as heavy rain from these showers and embedded thunderstorms impacted the Frankfort area.
Flash Flood · Jul 10, 2019. A couple bands of showers and thunderstorms developed across the northwest half of central Indiana during the late afternoon and evening of July 10th. Some locations saw multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms leading to flash flooding. Others saw some of the more intense storms which produced damaging winds.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Clinton County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.