30 flood insurance claims·$830,733 paid·3 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 Decatur 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.
Flooding in Decatur County is dominated by river floods and flash floods caused by heavy rainfall events over a period of several days. NOAA records show 18 flood events and 14 flash flood events over the last 30 years, resulting in one death. Severe rainfall events, such as those in March 2020 and February 2019, have dropped between 2 and over 4 inches of rain, closing numerous state and local roads and causing extensive flooding along rivers and streams.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that flood risk extends across multiple zones, with the highest concentration of claims occurring in high-risk areas. Properties located in Zone A account for the majority of claims with 24 filings, averaging a payout of $33,335 and an average recorded water depth of 35 inches. Lower-frequency claims also occur in Zone X_UNSHADED, with 3 claims averaging a $50,881 payout and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches; Zone X, with 2 claims averaging an $18,456 payout and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches; and Zone X_SHADED, with 1 claim resulting in a $7,822 payout and an average recorded water depth of 21 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents near rivers, streams, and designated Zone A flood areas should pay the most attention to flood risk and mitigation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
14% of Decatur County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
28 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 25 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 2008, with 11 claims and $380,907 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes and Severe Storms 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.
11 NOAA storm reports from Decatur County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1974, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Mar 30, 2025 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 12, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 30, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Jan 1, 2005 |
| Snow | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
32 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 18 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $25,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 20, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 17, 2019 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | $10,000 |
| Flood | Dec 31, 2018 | $250 |
| Flood | Jun 13, 2018 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jun 13, 2018 | $250 |
| Flood | Jun 13, 2018 | $20,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 4, 2025. The final round of rain in a stretch of 4 days brought rain amounts of 2-4.5 inches of rain to central Indiana in addition to the 3-5 inches that had fallen. This led to additional widespread flash flooding and exacerbated ongoing creek and river flooding to a point that many main stem rivers ended up reaching major flood stage.
Flash Flood · Mar 20, 2020. During the overnight hours of March 19th, a strong low pressure system brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to central Indiana. The heaviest rain fell across south central Indiana with 2 to 3 inches of rain. Decatur county was the heaviest hit area with numerous state and local roads closed.
Flash Flood · Jun 17, 2019. Central Indiana saw severe weather and flooding June 15th through the 17th. A warm front brought severe storms, tornadoes, and heavy rain on June 15th. The stalled front and upper waves brought more heavy rain and some severe storms on June 16th and 17th. The repeated rounds of heavy rain caused flooding across the area.
Flash Flood · Feb 7, 2019. A low pressure system moved into the forecast area bringing plentiful moisture and produced thunderstorms and waves of moderate to heavy rain to central Indiana around February 7th. The storms produced a tornado in a strong shear and low instability environment. Over 4 inches of rain fell in a couple of days in some areas. The heavy rain produced flash flooding, and extensive flooding developed along rivers and st…
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 Decatur 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.