FEMA Records
20
Above median
Indiana · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Dearborn County, IN
20 FEMA disaster declarations (1968-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 20
- FEMA declarations
- 16
- Major disasters
- 45
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Dearborn County. Its 20 FEMA declarations are 17% above the Indiana county mean and exceed the count for 46% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 45%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 45%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 20
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 111
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 18029 · Dearborn County 20 declarations · rank 1635/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-HEAVY · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 20
- MAJOR-HEAVY 80%
- RANK-LOWER #1,635
- PHOTO-FINISH Monona
- NRI-LOW 45
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-ABOVE +17%
Nearest declaration peer: Monona, IA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Indiana state profile
Dearborn County in the declaration-count neighbourhood
FEMA declaration records among Dearborn County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Cleveland · near 20
Cleveland · near
20 declarations
- Dearborn · this county 20
Dearborn · this county
20 declarations
- Monona · near 20
Monona · near
20 declarations
- Tallapoosa · near 20
Tallapoosa · near
20 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Dearborn County carries 20 FEMA declaration records, ranked 1635 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
How Dearborn County's FEMA declaration count compares nationally
Dearborn County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Dearborn County
20 46th percentile higher than 46% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Dearborn County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Dearborn County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $9.2M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Landslide carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Dearborn County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 111 paid claims, totaling $2.0M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $18.3K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Dearborn County's 20 federal records stand 17% above the Indiana county mean of 17.1. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 45.2/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Relatively Low (roughly $18.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 2 years here.
67 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Dearborn County, IN · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
14/30
20 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.0x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
15/25
20 declarations (1.2x state county average of 17)
Major Disaster Share Very High
20/25
16 of 20 declarations are major disasters (80%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Dearborn County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Dearborn County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
80%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
45
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Dearborn County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.9 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 5 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 2.4 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 50 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 2.3 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 540 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 11 times per year |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 3.6 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 2.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 35,721 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 174 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 10
Flood 4
Biological 2
Winter Storm 1
Hurricane 1
Snowstorm 1
Tornado 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Dearborn County's record, 50% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 16 80.0%
of all 20 declarations
Emergency - 4 20.0%
of all 20 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1968 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 20 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 20 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3641 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4515 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-03 |
| 3456 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4363 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2018-05-04 |
| 1997 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-06-23 |
| 1795 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-09-23 |
| 1766 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-06-08 |
| 3238 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1573 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-01-21 |
| 3197 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2005-01-11 |
| 1520 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-06-03 |
| 1418 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2002-06-13 |
| 1165 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-03-06 |
| 1125 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-07-03 |
| 1109 | BLIZZARD OF 96 | DR | Flood | 1996-04-02 |
| 962 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1992-09-18 |
| 891 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1991-01-05 |
| 869 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1990-06-04 |
| 423 | TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1974-04-04 |
| 247 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1968-07-30 |
Storm Events in Indiana
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Dearborn County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,886 | 16 | 73 | $57.6M |
| Hail | 1,643 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | 1,166 | 32 | 80 | $2.5M |
| Flood | 850 | 13 | 3 | $16.0M |
| Flash Flood | 648 | 14 | 5 | $97.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
111
Total Paid
$2.0M
Avg Per Claim
$18.3K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 45.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$18.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Drought Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Landslide
Landslide risk is a function of slope, soil and water, so it is usually a SECOND-ORDER hazard: it is triggered by the rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire burn scars or seismic shaking that came first. That is why a county can carry high landslide exposure whose realized damage is recorded under a flood or storm declaration instead.
Worth noting for Dearborn County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Landslide carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Dearborn County's closest FEMA peer: Brown County, MN
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Dearborn County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Dearborn County shows 20 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Dearborn County: 16 of 20 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Dearborn County: NRI composite 45.2 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Dearborn County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Dearborn County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 45.2 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 20. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Dearborn County's NFIP claims file (111 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Dearborn County?
The most common disaster type in Dearborn County is Severe Storm, with 10 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (4), Biological (2), Winter Storm (1).
How does Dearborn County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Indiana average?
FEMA lists 20 declaration records for Dearborn County. That is 17% above the Indiana county mean of 17.1. Its count is also 3% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Dearborn County received?
Dearborn County has received 16 major disaster declarations, representing 80% of all 20 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Dearborn County filed?
Dearborn County has 111 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.0M in payments, with an average of $18.3K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Dearborn County?
No. In Dearborn County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $9.2M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Dearborn County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Dearborn County was 2005, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1968 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Dearborn County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Dearborn County, Indiana has an overall risk score of 45.2 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Very Low, while community resilience comes in at Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $18.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Dearborn County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Dearborn County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively Moderate) and Tornado (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at roughly once every 2 years. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against 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.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Dearborn County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Indiana profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events