Natural hazards · Center

Center, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Center comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1979.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Center?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Center to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves28%Tornadoes24%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Center faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

28% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Center flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Center, from FEMA’s records.

15paid claims since 1979

$185Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 2 claims, $61K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Center isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lake County.

Disasters that hit Center

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Lake County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Center itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CenterDeclared for Lake County only

Lake County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Center

Center and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Johnmostly inland floodingModerate

Merrillvillemostly inland floodingLow

Lake Dalecarliamostly inland floodingLow

Rossmostly inland floodingLow

Hanovermostly inland floodingLow

Eagle Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Cedar Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Winfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Centermostly inland floodingLow

Crown Pointmostly inland floodingLow

Cedar Lakemostly inland floodingVery low

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Center covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Center’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Center. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Center total about $13.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.