14 flood insurance claims·$212,056 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 Martin 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.
Flash flooding from slow-moving summer thunderstorms and river flooding dominate the flood profile of Martin County, accounting for 21 flash flood events and 27 general flood events over the last 30 years, resulting in two deaths. Recent historical events illustrate this vulnerability. In July 2020, a nearly stationary storm dropped 6 to 8 inches of rain over three hours on areas that had already received 4 to 6 inches the previous day, causing significant flooding near Shoals and surrounding rural areas. Later, an April 2025 event brought 2 to 4.5 inches of rain following previous precipitation, leading to widespread flash flooding and driving main stem rivers to major flood stage.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that historical claims are concentrated in Zone A, which accounts for 12 claims with an average payout of $22,941 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Two additional claims were filed in areas with unknown flood zones, averaging $2,795 with an average water depth of 12 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A and those near rivers or creeks susceptible to overflow during heavy rainfall.
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 13 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 2005, with 5 claims and $123,580 paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms and Flooding and Hurricane Katrina Evacuation.
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.
15 NOAA storm reports from Martin County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1979, 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, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 12, 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
48 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 27 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Aug 4, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2020 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2018 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2017 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 2, 2015 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2014 | $500 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 5, 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.
Flood · Aug 4, 2025. During the late afternoon and early evening of the 4th, slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall and flooding to portions of west-central and southwest central Indiana. Flooding was most significant in southeastern Vigo County near Blackhawk where a video showed flash flooding of a field and nearby road. Later in the day, flash flooding also occurred in Daviess County and Lawrence County with two major…
Flash Flood · Jul 31, 2020. During the late evening hours of July 31st, a nearly stationary storm formed over portions of Martin and Daviess county. Over the course of 3 hours, 6 to 8 inches of rain fell across areas that had received 4 to 6 inches the day before. This led to significant flooding near the town of Shoals as well as other rural portions of Martin and Daviess counties.
Flash Flood · Aug 1, 2020. During the late evening hours of July 31st, a nearly stationary storm formed over portions of Martin and Daviess county. Over the course of 3 hours, 6 to 8 inches of rain fell across areas that had received 4 to 6 inches the day before. This led to significant flooding near the town of Shoals as well as other rural portions of Martin and Daviess counties.
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 Martin 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.