42 flood insurance claims·$422,360 paid·2 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 Newton 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 severe summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Newton County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 14 flash flood events alongside 9 general floods, which resulted in 3 deaths. Recent history includes heavy rain from two rounds of thunderstorms on June 27, 2020, that produced 1 to 2 inches of rain with the highest totals and flash flooding near Kentland. Another significant event occurred on February 20, 2018, when very heavy rain caused areal flooding and major flooding on local rivers.
Federal flood insurance claims data shows varying impacts across different zones. Properties in FEMA Zone A experienced the highest frequency with 32 claims, averaging an $5,705 payout and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Meanwhile, Zone X properties recorded 4 claims with an average payout of $75,329 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, and Zone UNKNOWN accounted for 6 claims averaging a $415 payout and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch.
Homeowners and real estate professionals working with properties in designated Special Flood Hazard Areas like Zone A, as well as properties outside high-risk zones that still experience severe rainfall, should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
Less than 1% of Newton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
32 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 5 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 2003, with 10 claims and $74,220 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Newton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 2018 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 5, 2014 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 12, 2008 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jan 7, 2008 |
| Snow | Feb 12, 2007 |
| 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.
23 since 1996: 14 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 27, 2020 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 27, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Feb 20, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2016 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 11, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 23, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2013 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 27, 2020. Two rounds of thunderstorms moved across portions of northwest Indiana during the early morning hours of June 27th. Many areas received 1 to 2 inches of rain. The highest totals were near Kentland. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of June 27th producing very heavy rain over these same areas, including Kentland, producing flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Jun 27, 2020. Two rounds of thunderstorms moved across portions of northwest Indiana during the early morning hours of June 27th. Many areas received 1 to 2 inches of rain. The highest totals were near Kentland. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of June 27th producing very heavy rain over these same areas, including Kentland, producing flash flooding.
Flood · Feb 20, 2018. Very heavy rain fell across northwest Indiana on February 19th and February 20th which caused areal flooding across some areas and major flooding on some rivers.
Flash Flood · Jul 13, 2016. A well-organized complex of thunderstorms progressed from west to east across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, bringing scattered wind damage to mainly areas along and south of the I-80 corridor. In addition, heavy rainfall occurred causing patchy minor flooding.
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 Newton 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.