Hamilton County, Indiana: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hamilton County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.8 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 709 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.8 | $30M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.2 | $740K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.9 | $1.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | $4.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.1 | $73M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.1 | $9.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.0 | $3.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $2.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 73.4 | $448K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84.9 | $4.7M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 51.5 | $267K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.6 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 25.6 | $16K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 20.3 | $13K |
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 | 269 | 1 | $2.6M | 7th of 91 | 215th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 187 | 0 | $8.7M | 5th of 91 | 416th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 4 | $70M | 40th of 91 | 441st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 53 | 1 | $13M | 1st of 91 | 30th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 46 | 2 | $155K | 54th of 91 | 1332nd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 6 | $245M | 6th of 91 | 153rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 0 | $223K | 15th of 91 | 966th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 22nd of 91 | 1395th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 36th of 91 | 1388th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 27th of 91 | 1654th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 48th of 91 | 1751st 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 Hamilton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.