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Natural hazards · Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Wayne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,148 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fort Wayne?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Wayne to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes21%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Fort Wayne faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Fort Wayne flood?

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

1,148paid claims since 1978
$13.3Mpaid to owners
74homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 1 claim, $12K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (14) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fort Wayne 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

269flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Fort Wayne

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Fort Wayne itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Fort Wayne.

Brought FEMA money into Fort WayneDeclared for Allen County only
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

284 households applied for aid $249K aid approved
2014

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$281K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

85 households applied for aid $56K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

108 households applied for aid $161K aid approved $468K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
2007

Snow

$3K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

47 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $470K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

50 households applied for aid $50K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

505 households applied for aid $897K aid approved $561K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$158K to the City of Fort Wayne for repairs
Allen County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne and the towns around it

New Haven: Low, mostly inland floodingHuntertown: Low, mostly inland floodingPerry: Low, mostly inland floodingEel River: Very low, mostly inland floodingSt. Joseph: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Very low, mostly inland floodingMilan: Low, mostly inland floodingAdams: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJefferson: Very low, mostly inland floodingButler: Low, mostly inland floodingCedar Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingSmith: Very low, mostly inland floodingSwan: Low, mostly inland floodingChurubusco: Very low, mostly inland floodingWayne: High, mostly inland floodingLake: Low, mostly inland floodingMaumee: Low, mostly inland floodingFort Wayne: Moderate, mostly inland flooding Fort WayneNew HavenHuntertownPerryEel RiverSt. JosephWashingtonMilan
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fort Waynemostly inland floodingModerate
Milanmostly inland floodingLow
St. Josephmostly inland floodingLow
New Havenmostly inland floodingLow
Perrymostly inland floodingLow
Huntertownmostly inland floodingLow
Eel Rivermostly 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. Fort Wayne covers 63 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Wayne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Wayne. 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 Fort Wayne total about $57.0M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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