10 flood insurance claims·$102,223 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 Jennings 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.
Over the last 30 years, Jennings County has experienced a flood risk profile dominated by standard river and stream flooding alongside significant flash flood events, with NOAA records showing 26 flood events and 15 flash flood events.
Heavy rainfall and slow-moving weather systems frequently trigger these hazards across the area. For example, a stationary boundary produced heavy rainfall that led to flash flooding across a portion of Jennings County on June 12, 2018. Later, a heavy rain event from January 9 through January 11, 2020, brought 3 to 5 inches of rain to the area, resulting in flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple zones, including Zone A, which recorded 6 claims with an average payout of $14,499 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Additional claims occurred in Zone UNKNOWN, Zone X, and Zone X_UNSHADED, with average payouts ranging from $6,270 to $15,372 and average recorded water depths between 0 and 1 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A—where deeper standing water has been documented during claims—along with properties situated near waterways and unmapped areas, should pay the closest attention to local flood risks.
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 8 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 2009, with 3 claims and $26,655 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storm.
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.
5 NOAA storm reports from Jennings County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
17 federal disaster declarations since 1968, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| 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 |
| Snow | Dec 21, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
41 since 1996: 15 flash floods and 26 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 11, 2020 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 12, 2018 | $8,000 |
| Flood | Jun 15, 2017 | $7,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2016 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Oct 19, 2016 | $250 |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2015 | $500 |
| Flood | Jan 17, 2012 | $500 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 8, 2024. Warm and humid conditions, including unseasonable dewpoints as high as 71 degrees at the Vincennes airport, were present across central Indiana ahead of an approaching cold front. Very heavy rain from an isolated, early evening thunderstorm drifting over portions of Jennings County eventually caused localized flash flooding west of Lovett. Later in the evening a broad area of convection arriving from Illinois in…
Flood · Jan 11, 2020. A period of heavy rain occurred from January 9th through the 11th that brought 3 to 5 inches of rain to the area. During the period of heavy rain a few thunderstorms brought gusty winds.
Flash Flood · Jun 12, 2018. A stationary boundary lingered over southern portions of central Indiana from late on the 11th to late on the 12th of June. This was the focus for a series of shower and thunderstorm complexes that produced copious amounts of rain over portions of Knox County, leading to flash flooding. Heavy rainfall also produced flash flooding across a portion of Jennings County as well.
Flood · Jun 15, 2017. The heaviest rains of more than 4 inches, fell on the 13th and 14th of June in portions of northwest and southeast Indiana. Precipitation covered nearly the entire state on the 14th.
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 Jennings 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.