49 flood insurance claims·$505,564 paid·5 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 Gibson 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.
River and general flooding dominate the historical record in Gibson County, Indiana, accounting for 276 out of 316 total flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 40 flash flood events and one recorded flash flood death. Recent events illustrate this pattern, including minor flooding along the White River at Petersburg and Hazleton in February 2025 following heavy rain, as well as rising water levels in May 2025 driven by heavy rainfall and upstream conditions. A slow-moving mesoscale convective system also brought torrential rainfall and widespread flooding to the region in July 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data show payouts occurring across multiple zones, with the highest claim counts concentrated in areas with unknown designations. Specifically, Zone UNKNOWN recorded 32 claims with an average payout of $12,755 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Zone A recorded 13 claims with an average payout of $13,045 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches. Zone X recorded one claim with an average payout of $5,230 and zero inches of recorded water depth, while Zone X unshaded recorded three claims with an average payout of $0 and zero inches of water depth. Properties situated near rivers, as well as homeowners in Zone UNKNOWN and Zone A, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
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 11 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 2011, with 14 claims and $204,046 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And.
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.
139 NOAA storm reports from Gibson County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
22 federal disaster declarations since 1968, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 2018 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 26, 2009 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
316 since 1996: 40 flash floods and 276 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jul 19, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Feb 17, 2025 | — |
| Flood | May 5, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Dec 28, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 20, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 10, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 19, 2025. As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset. CAPE rose to 1000-2000J/kg in Southwest Indiana with effective bulk shear around 30kts. Extremely high moisture content with precipitable water values of 2.25in resulted in torrential rainfall…
Flood · Jul 19, 2025. As high pressure slowly crept northward towards the Quad State region, ridging remained over the middle Mississippi River Valley. A slow-moving MCS moved through the northeastern half of the Quad State midday to near sunset. CAPE rose to 1000-2000J/kg in Southwest Indiana with effective bulk shear around 30kts. Extremely high moisture content with precipitable water values of 2.25in resulted in torrential rainfall…
Flood · Feb 17, 2025. Heavy rain (2.5-3) over the White River basin on February 15th resulted in rising water levels along the White River with minor flooding at Petersburg and Hazleton.
Flood · May 5, 2025. Moderate to heavy rainfall near Gibson and Pike Counties early May, along with heavy rain further upstream along the White River at the end of April, fueled a rise on the White River to minor flood at Petersburg and Hazleton on the 5th through the 7th/8th with limited impacts.
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 Gibson 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.