20 flood insurance claims·$120,078 paid·1 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 Ripley 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.
Ripley County experiences a balanced mix of standard floods and flash floods, with 78 flood events and 77 flash flood events recorded over the last 30 years by the NOAA Storm Events DB. Heavy rainfall from summer weather patterns frequently drives these occurrences. For instance, a low pressure system and trailing cold front produced heavy rainfall and localized flooding in July 2025. Similarly, showers and thunderstorms formed in a hot and humid airmass in July 2025, producing heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located within Zone A carry the primary risk, accounting for 18 claims with an average payout of $10,731 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. Zone X properties recorded fewer incidents, with 2 claims averaging a $2,036 payout and an average recorded water depth of 50 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A, as this zone represents the vast majority of historical flood insurance claims 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 26 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 2021, with 11 claims and $49,039 paid.
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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Ripley County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
16 federal disaster declarations since 1968, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Feb 29, 2012 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
155 since 1996: 77 flash floods and 78 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 28, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 28, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 16, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 15, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 1, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2024 | — |
| Flood | May 8, 2024 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 28, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms developed along a frontal boundary that was moving south into the Ohio Valley.
Flood · Jul 28, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms formed in a hot and humid airmass; some of these storms produced heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
Flood · Jun 17, 2025. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and humid airmass.
Flash Flood · Feb 16, 2025. Heavy rain associated with a low pressure system fell across much of the Ohio Valley.
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 Ripley 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.