Enter any address in Rush County, Indiana to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events dominates Rush County's flood character. Recent events include a flash flood on April 4th, where 2-4.5 inches of rain fell on already saturated ground, causing rivers to reach major flood stage. Another flash flood event occurred on February 7th, with over 4 inches of rain in some areas leading to extensive flooding along rivers and streams.
National Flood Insurance Program data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $6,322 and an average water depth of 1.6 feet. Properties in Zone X also have a history of claims, averaging $4,235 with 1.0 foot of water depth. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, Zone X, and particularly those in Zone X_SHADED, which has seen claims with an average water depth of 24 feet, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
10 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Rush County, Indiana has recorded 30 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 12 flash floods and 18 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1974–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Sep 12, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | May 30, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jan 1, 2005 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Sep 20, 2002 |
| Winter Storm 12/23/98 | Snowstorm | Jan 1, 1999 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 7, 2019 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Nov 5, 2017 | 15.00K |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2017 | 0.50K |
| Flood | Apr 8, 2015 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2008 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2008 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jan 8, 2008 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 7, 2008 | 10.00K |
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. Unfortunate...
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...
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.
Flood — Apr 5, 2017
A complex low pressure system brought damaging winds and hail to central Indiana, as well as one tornado reported southeast of Cannelburg during the afternoon of April 5th.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Rush County, Indiana:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Rush County, Indiana that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.