Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1982.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding44%Tornadoes22%Cold waves11%Strong wind8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 26 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chester flood?

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

5paid claims since 1982

$66Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wabash County.

Disasters that hit Chester

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Wabash County only

Wabash County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lagromostly inland floodingModerate

Warrenmostly inland floodingLow

North Manchestermostly inland floodingLow

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Pleasantmostly inland floodingLow

Liberty Millsmostly inland floodingLow

Jacksonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Chester covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Chester. 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 Chester total about $3.5M 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.