115 flood insurance claims·$1.7M 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 Tipton 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 and general flooding dominate the historical flood profile of Tipton County, accounting for 15 recorded events compared to 7 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Heavy rainfall events drive much of this risk, as demonstrated by storms in April 2013 that produced around 5 inches of rain in 24 hours on top of previous precipitation, causing numerous streams and rivers to flood to record levels. Additional heavy rain from a complex of storms similarly caused flooding in the town of Win in September 2020.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that properties located in Zone A face the highest concentration of risk, accounting for 89 claims with an average payout of $18,813 and an average recorded water depth of 11 inches. However, properties in Zone X also experience significant impacts, generating 17 claims with an average payout of $28,838 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties situated within Zone A and Zone X, where historical claims and standing water depths demonstrate measurable flood vulnerability.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
1% of Tipton County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
90 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 10 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 2013, with 45 claims and $1.1M 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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Tipton County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Jan 5, 2014 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Sep 20, 2002 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
22 since 1996: 7 flash floods and 15 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 7, 2020 | $10,000 |
| Flood | May 27, 2013 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 19, 2013 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 18, 2013 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2013 | $500 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 10, 2013 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Apr 30, 2012 | $500 |
| Flood | Sep 7, 2012 | $1,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Sep 7, 2020. An isolated strong storm produced large hail across Tippecanoe county during the evening hours of September 8th. A frontal boundary was located north of the forecast area and a thunderstorm formed as a result of afternoon heating. This storm rapidly grew in height before briefly producing hail up to golf balls. The night before, a complex of storms moved over north central Indiana which brought heavy rain to por…
Flood · May 27, 2013. Isolated thunderstorms on the afternoon of the 27th developed in the vicinity of a warm front over northern portions of central Indiana. Gusty winds associated with one of the storms as it moved across Madison County took down trees, power poles and power lines. The town of Elwood was impacted.
Flood · Apr 19, 2013. Thunderstorms brought heavy rain to much of central Indiana on April 18th and early on April 19th. Some areas of central Indiana received around 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. This was on top of heavy rain from previous days. The result was flooding of numerous streams and rivers, some of which reached record levels.
Flood · Apr 18, 2013. Thunderstorms brought heavy rain to much of central Indiana on April 18th and early on April 19th. Some areas of central Indiana received around 5 inches of rain in 24 hours. This was on top of heavy rain from previous days. The result was flooding of numerous streams and rivers, some of which reached record levels.
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 Tipton 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.