109 flood insurance claims·$1.2M 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 Wayne 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.
Wayne County experiences a flood risk profile dominated by standard river and stream flooding rather than flash flooding, with 53 general flood events recorded compared to 34 flash flood events over the last 30 years, including one flash flood fatality. Local flood events are frequently driven by heavy rainfall from showers and thunderstorms, such as the storms in April 2025 and the moisture associated with the remnants of Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that risk extends beyond high-risk areas. Zone A has accumulated the highest volume with 78 claims, averaging $15,977 per payout and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. However, moderate- and lower-risk areas also experience impacts; Zone X properties logged 12 claims with an average payout of $27,554 and an average water depth of 7 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties recorded 15 claims averaging $10,056 with an average water depth of 22 inches.
Homeowners and real estate agents in Zone A should pay the closest attention to property-specific flood risk due to the high concentration of claims, while those in Zone X areas should also remain aware of potential high-depth water accumulation.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
19% of Wayne County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
96 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 7 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 41 claims and $787,223 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.
1 NOAA storm reports from Wayne County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Indiana flood stories →
14 federal disaster declarations since 1991, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And | Apr 19, 2011 |
| 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, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Jul 4, 2003 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
87 since 1996: 34 flash floods and 53 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Apr 24, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 5, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 29, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 11, 2024 | $5,000 |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 5, 2024 | $8,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Apr 24, 2025. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and humid airmass. Some of the storms produced locally heavy rainfall.
Flood · Apr 5, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall late in the evening and into the overnight hours.
Flood · Apr 4, 2025. Showers and thunderstorms produced locally heavy rainfall late in the evening and into the overnight hours.
Flood · Jul 29, 2024. An upper level disturbance moving southeast across the region produced showers and thunderstorms during the evening hours.
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 Wayne 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.