10 flood insurance claims·$140,973 paid·4 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 Greene 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.
Greene County experiences flood risks primarily driven by prolonged heavy rainfall leading to river overflows and flash flooding, with 88 flood events and 26 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years. Heavy rain events, such as those in February 2019 and September 2018, have produced over 4 inches of rain over a couple of days, causing widespread flash flooding and extensive river and stream flooding. Slow-moving thunderstorms also caused flash flooding in southwestern Greene County in March 2024, and multi-day rainfall totals reached up to 4.5 inches in April 2025, pushing main stem rivers to major flood stage.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate historical claims across multiple zones, including an average payout of $24,486 with an average recorded water depth of 8 inches in Zone A. Properties mapped in Zone X also experienced claims, averaging $17,038 with an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, while properties with unknown zones averaged $27,471 with an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties near rivers and streams, as well as structures located in Zone A and unmapped or unknown flood zones, which remain vulnerable to significant surface water and rising river levels during heavy precipitation events.
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 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 2008, with 2 claims and $80,584 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes.
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.
27 NOAA storm reports from Greene County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1979, 4 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, 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 | Jul 3, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
114 since 1996: 26 flash floods and 88 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 5, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 8, 2018 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jan 3, 2015 | $20,000 · 1 killed |
| Flood | Apr 7, 2014 | $100 · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2013 | $7,000 |
| Flood | Jun 26, 2013 | $500 |
— = 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 5, 2024. During the late afternoon into early evening hours of March 5th, slow moving to nearly stationary thunderstorms caused periods of heavy rain across south central Indiana with pockets of flash flooding in both Washington, Indiana and southwestern Greene County. Rain gauges reported up to 3.75 inches of rainfall near these areas of flash flooding.
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…
Flash Flood · Sep 8, 2018. The remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon interacted with a surface front to produce widespread heavy rain across much of central Indiana. The moisture content of the atmosphere was very high. Precipitable water, a measure of moisture content in the atmosphere, is normally around 1 inch for early September in Indiana. Precipitable water amounts approached 2 inches for parts of the area on September 8th. Heavy rainfall…
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 Greene 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.