Elkhart County, Indiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Elkhart County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.7 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, cold wave, tornado. Its storm record holds 706 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.6 | $3.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.6 | $10M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.6 | $7.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.6 | $2.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $23M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | $202K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.3 | $413K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 61.7 | $139K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.2 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 72.9 | $993K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 47.1 | $115K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 47.1 | $54K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.7 | $978 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 32.9 | $16K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 370 | 1 | $3.8M | 10th of 91 | 254th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 129 | 0 | $36K | 21st of 91 | 730th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 118 | 3 | $36K | 20th of 91 | 488th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 62 | $37M | 34th of 91 | 541st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 19 | 0 | $4.0M | 83rd of 91 | 2148th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 1 | $25K | 21st of 91 | 1118th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $348K | 17th of 91 | 484th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 61st of 91 | 1555th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 33rd of 91 | 1439th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Elkhart County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.