23 flood insurance claims·$205,176 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 Rush 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.
River flooding and flash flooding from heavy rainfall dominate the flood history of Rush County, with NOAA records showing 18 flood events and 12 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy multi-day rainfall totals frequently trigger this inundation. For instance, a low pressure system brought over 4 inches of rain over a couple of days in February 2019, producing flash flooding alongside extensive flooding along rivers and streams. Similarly, a series of storms in April 2025 dropped 2 to 4.5 inches of rain on top of prior accumulations of 3 to 5 inches, causing widespread flash flooding and driving many main stem rivers to major flood stage.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that properties situated in high-risk Zone A bear the brunt of this risk, accounting for 16 claims with an average payout of $13,199 and an average recorded water depth of 12 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $6,983 and an average water depth of 2 inches, while a single claim in Zone X_SHADED recorded an average depth of 24 inches with a $5,577 payout. Homeowners, journalists, and real estate agents should pay the closest attention to properties located near rivers, streams, and within FEMA Zone A.
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 9 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 2026, with 4 claims and $108,011 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.
10 NOAA storm reports from Rush County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1974, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Sep 20, 2002 |
| Winter Storm 12/23/98 | Jan 1, 1999 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 18 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Nov 5, 2017 | $15,000 |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2017 | $500 |
| Flood | Apr 8, 2015 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2008 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2008 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Apr 4, 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.
Flash Flood · Jun 19, 2021. A long lasting and multi faceted storm system moved through central Indiana beginning during the late afternoon hours of June 18th and continued through the evening hours with widespread damaging winds and very large hail before transitioning into a flash flooding event during the overnight hours with significant flash flooding occurring across portions of Owen and Monroe counties. Unfortunately, one person lost…
Flash Flood · Feb 7, 2019. A low pressure system moved into the forecast area bringing plentiful moisture and produced thunderstorms and waves of moderate to heavy rain to central Indiana around February 7th. The storms produced a tornado in a strong shear and low instability environment. Over 4 inches of rain fell in a couple of days in some areas. The heavy rain produced flash flooding, and extensive flooding developed along rivers and st…
Flash Flood · Nov 5, 2017. Waves of low pressure moved along a strong cold front on November 5th, generating strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Strong 850mb winds brought up plenty of moisture for the storms to work with and the storms produced some tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and 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 Rush 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.