FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Indiana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Benton County, IN
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 5
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Benton County in the top 95% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Benton County compare?
- Benton County
- 2
- Indiana county avg
- 1.4
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Benton County?
Benton County, Indiana has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 42% above the Indiana county average of 1.4 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 4.9/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $3.3M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile and Relatively High community resilience. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Cold Wave, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Taken together, Benton County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Indiana Avg
+42%
State avg: 1.4
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Benton County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Benton County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
18007
IN state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3641 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4704 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-15 |
Storm Events in Indiana
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,600 | 17 | 84 | $63.6M |
| Hail | 1,774 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | 1,278 | 33 | 82 | $2.8M |
| Flood | 917 | 15 | 3 | $16.1M |
| Flash Flood | 731 | 14 | 5 | $106.0M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 4.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$3.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Indiana
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Benton County, Indiana had?
Benton County, Indiana has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Benton County?
The most common disaster type in Benton County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1).
How does Benton County's disaster risk compare to the Indiana average?
Benton County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 42% higher than the Indiana county average of 1.4 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Benton County received?
Benton County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Indiana?
The most common storm types in Indiana include Thunderstorm Wind (5,600 events), Hail (1,774 events), Winter Weather (1,278 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Benton County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Benton County was 2023, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Benton County?
Benton County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Benton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Benton County, Indiana has an overall risk score of 4.9 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $3.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Benton County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Benton County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Very Low) and Hail (Relatively Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Benton County
Benton County, IN has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 42% above the Indiana county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (1 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Indiana overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.