139 flood insurance claims·$1.7M paid·1 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 Grant 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.
Grant County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by riverine floods and heavy-rain events. Over the last 30 years, NOAA records show 10 flood events resulting in 3 deaths, alongside 6 flash flood events driven by slow-moving weather systems, unseasonably strong low-pressure areas, and saturated or frozen ground conditions.
Specific historical events illustrate these risks. In January 2013, a strong system dropped up to three inches of rain onto frozen ground with a multi-inch frost depth, causing rapid runoff into streams, creeks, and rivers. Later, on June 27, 2015, an unseasonably strong area of low pressure brought three to six inches of rain within a 24-hour period across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties in mapped high-risk areas face the most frequent exposure, led by Zone A with 99 recorded claims averaging an 8-inch water depth and a $16,942 payout. However, properties in moderate-to-low risk zones also experience significant impacts; Zone X recorded 23 claims with an average water depth of 14 inches and an average payout of $17,223. Homeowners near rivers, creeks, and smaller waterways, as well as those located in Zones A and X, should pay the closest attention to flood preparedness.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
12% of Grant County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
112 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 7 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 1998, with 37 claims and $355,130 paid.
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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Grant County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 1 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 Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 30, 2008 |
| 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 | Aug 26, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 6 flash floods and 10 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 27, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 22, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2013 | — |
| Flood | Jan 13, 2013 | — · 1 killed |
| Flood | Feb 28, 2011 | — |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2011 | $1.0M |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2008 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 27, 2015. An unseasonably strong area of low pressure moved through the Ohio Valley on June 26-27 which brought moderate to heavy rain to the area. Between 3 and 6 inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period.
Flash Flood · Aug 22, 2014. A weak upper level system dropped southeast across the region. A stationary boundary extended west to east across the area. Three rounds of thunderstorms developed either across the area or upstream in Illinois and tracked southeast along the front. Precipitable water exceeded 2 inches allowing for a very moist atmosphere and efficient rain producing thunderstorms. The first round produced isolated severe weather…
Flood · Apr 18, 2013. Numerous thunderstorms developed and persisted across portions of northern Indiana. The main axis of the heaviest precipitation was located either side of a Marion to Columbia City line where rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were common. This allowed several smaller rivers and creeks to rapidly respond and forcing high water into adjacent roadways. Drainage systems also had a difficult time keeping up with rainfal…
Flood · Jan 13, 2013. A strong system moved through the region January 12th, bringing widespread rainfall to northern Indiana, along with a few thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts varied from three quarters of an inch in northwestern Indiana to one and one half to almost three inches along and east of Interstate 69 and south of U.S. 30. Ground conditions were frozen at the time with a frost depth of several inches. T his allowed for all t…
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 Grant 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.