Natural hazards · Eel River

Eel River, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Eel River comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2003.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Eel River?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Eel River to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes23%Strong wind5%Drought5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Eel River faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 45 years in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Eel River flood?

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

1paid claims since 2003

$1Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20032026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Allen County.

Disasters that hit Eel River

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into Eel RiverDeclared for Allen County only

Allen County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Eel River

Eel River and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fort Waynemostly inland floodingModerate

Perrymostly inland floodingLow

Swanmostly inland floodingLow

Huntertownmostly inland floodingLow

Eel Rivermostly inland floodingVery low

Smithmostly inland floodingVery low

Churubuscomostly inland floodingVery low

Washingtonmostly 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. Eel River covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Eel River’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Eel River. 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 Eel River total about $1.1M 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.