Enter any address in Vigo County, Indiana to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Vigo County. Recent events include flash flooding in southeastern Vigo County near Blackhawk on August 4, 2025, where rainfall of 3-5 inches caused fields and roads to flood. Another instance on April 4, 2025, saw 2-4.5 inches of additional rain exacerbate existing creek and river flooding, leading to major flood stages on area rivers.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has processed 467 claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $26,713 and an average water depth of 6.3 feet. Notably, Zone X_UNSHADED has seen fewer claims (34), but with a higher average payout of $32,937 and an average water depth of 10.2 feet. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X_UNSHADED, as well as those residing near creeks and rivers, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
28 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Vigo County, Indiana has recorded 133 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 36 flash floods and 97 river or area floods. The county has received 16 federal disaster declarations, 3 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2026)
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 Winter Storm And Snowstorm | Severe Storm | Jan 5, 2014 |
| 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 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 4, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 28, 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 | Aug 4, 2025 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 29, 2022 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2021 | 50.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2021 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2021 | 25.00K |
| Flood | Oct 21, 2020 | 1.00K |
| Flood | Jul 11, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jul 30, 2018 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 3, 2018 | 20.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 4, 2025
During the late afternoon and early evening of the 4th, slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall and flooding to portions of west-central and southwest central Indiana. Flooding was most significant in southeastern Vigo County near Blackhawk where a video showed flash flooding of a field and nearby road. Later in the day, flash flooding also occurred in Daviess County and Lawrence Co...
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 — Aug 29, 2022
An upper trough and associated cold front slowly approached central Indiana, focusing the transport of deep moisture into the region. Several rounds of strong thunderstorms impacted much of the area from late afternoon on the 29th into the early morning of the 30th. Mean tropospheric wind as low as 15 knots promoted slow storm motion, which led to locally heavy 1-day rainfall totals and isola...
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...
Flood — Mar 18, 2021
During the daytime hours of March 18th, a strong weather system was moving through Indiana with periods of strong gradient winds much of the day with periods of heavy rain during the afternoon and evening hours. Overall impacts were fairly minimal, but a few stronger gusts caused isolated damage.
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 Vigo 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 Vigo 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.