17 flood insurance claims·$110,874 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 Ohio 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 and general riverine flooding occur with near-equal frequency across the region, driven by 17 flash flood events and 15 flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall systems frequently trigger these incidents, such as when 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain overspread the area ahead of a low-pressure system in February 2022 and produced widespread flooding. Slow-moving showers and thunderstorms in warm, humid airmasses in September 2022, as well as strong thunderstorms ahead of a cold front in February 2018, have also caused flash flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims filed across multiple flood zones. Zone A leads the claim count with 8 claims averaging a payout of $10,15 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED accounts for 5 claims averaging $7,615 with an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 2 claims averaging $1,376 with an average recorded water depth of 3 inches, while Zone X recorded 2 claims averaging $7,558 with an average recorded water depth of 0 inches.
Homeowners and real estate professionals with properties in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED should pay the closest attention to flood risk, as these areas account for the majority of historical insurance claims and recorded water depths in the county.
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 4 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 1997, with 10 claims and $85,757 paid, the year of Severe Storms 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 Ohio County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
19 federal disaster declarations since 1968, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Feb 14, 2018 |
| 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 |
| Snow | Dec 21, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
32 since 1996: 17 flash floods and 15 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Feb 17, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 3, 2022 | $55,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 24, 2018 | — |
| Flood | Aug 16, 2018 | — |
| Flash Flood | Apr 23, 2011 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Mar 12, 2006 | — |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2005 | — |
| Flood | Aug 19, 2005 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Feb 17, 2022. Rain overspread the region through the day ahead of a low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley. Rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 2.5 inches produced widespread flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 3, 2022. Slow moving showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and humid airmass.
Flash Flood · Feb 24, 2018. Strong thunderstorms, with very heavy rainfall, developed ahead of cold front and caused flash flooding.
Flood · Aug 16, 2018. Numerous rounds of thunderstorms produced heavy rain and isolated 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 Ohio 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.