218 flood insurance claims·$3.1M 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 Tippecanoe 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.
Standard river and general floods dominate the historical record in Tippecanoe County, accounting for 111 events compared to 23 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Storms frequently bring heavy rainfall and severe winds, such as a low-pressure system on May 6, 2017, that dropped more than two inches of rain, caused road closures from high water, led to prolonged flooding of streams and rivers, and required water rescues. Another system on November 18, 2017, brought thunderstorms, a weak tornado, and winds gusting over 40 mph.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows the highest volume of historical payouts concentrated in Zone A, which recorded 160 claims with an average payout of $18,962 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Properties located in Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 26 claims with an average payout of $11,859 and an average water depth of 11 inches. Zone X recorded 16 claims with an average payout of $11,932 and an average water depth of 1 inch. Zone X_SHADED and unknown zones recorded 8 claims each, with average payouts of $9,351 and $1,245, and average water depths of 4 inches and 2 inches, respectively.
Homeowners and real estate agents with properties in Zone A and unshaded Zone X areas should pay the closest attention to flood risk, as these zones represent the highest concentrations of historical insurance claims and recorded water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
18% of Tippecanoe County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
194 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 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 2003, with 41 claims and $783,973 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.
21 NOAA storm reports from Tippecanoe County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1974, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | May 30, 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 25, 2004 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 4, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
134 since 1996: 23 flash floods and 111 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | $100,000 |
| Flood | Jun 5, 2019 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Nov 18, 2017 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 6, 2017 | $2,000 |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2015 | $500 |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2014 | $450,000 |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2014 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Aug 1, 2014 | $250 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 5, 2019. Several places saw damaging winds topple trees into roads, cars, and a house. The storms started to develop over White and Benton counties with a general motion to the south east. By the time the storms reached Tippecanoe county they had strengthened enough to become severe. Several trees fell over onto yards and cars.
Flood · Jun 5, 2019. Several places saw damaging winds topple trees into roads, cars, and a house. The storms started to develop over White and Benton counties with a general motion to the south east. By the time the storms reached Tippecanoe county they had strengthened enough to become severe. Several trees fell over onto yards and cars.
Flood · Nov 18, 2017. A strong low pressure system moved across central Indiana, bringing warm and humid air up with it. Thunderstorms developed with the low and along/ahead of its associated cold front during the late morning through the afternoon of November 18th. A weak tornado was also noted. Outside of storms, winds gusted over 40 mph.
Flood · May 6, 2017. A front and an a low pressure system brought heavy rain to central Indiana for the second time in a week. Some areas received more than 2 inches of rain once again. This lead to road closures due to high water as well as new & prolonged flooding of area streams and rivers. Some water rescues were performed as well.
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 Tippecanoe 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.