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Natural hazards · Gary

Gary, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gary comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 83 claims here since 1981. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Gary?

25
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gary to be higher than in 25% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves26%Tornadoes24%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Gary 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 41% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% 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

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gary flood?

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

83paid claims since 1981
$908Kpaid to owners
10homes flooded more than once
19812026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 36 claims, $663K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

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

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GaryDeclared for Lake County only
2026

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17,254 households applied for aid $30.4M aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

162 households applied for aid $231K aid approved
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

387 households applied for aid $335K aid approved
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

318 households applied for aid $567K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

7,293 households applied for aid $11.9M aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

2,710 households applied for aid $2.5M aid approved
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,643 households applied for aid $2.5M aid approved
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

782 households applied for aid $364K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1,054 households applied for aid $954K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

195 households applied for aid $251K aid approved
Lake County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Gary

Gary and the towns around it

Calumet: Low, mostly inland floodingLake Station: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingRoss: Very low, mostly cold wavesHammond: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Chicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingRoss: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrillville: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingGriffith: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland: High, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSchererville: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Chicago: Very low, mostly inland floodingWhiting: Low, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMunster: High, mostly inland floodingThornton: Very high, mostly inland floodingLansing: High, mostly inland floodingUnion: Very low, mostly inland floodingCalumet City: High, mostly inland floodingCenter: Low, mostly inland floodingCrown Point: Low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: Low, mostly inland floodingWinfield: Low, mostly inland floodingBurns Harbor: Very low, mostly inland floodingOgden Dunes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestchester: Low, mostly inland floodingChesterton: Low, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Low, mostly inland floodingGary: Low, mostly inland flooding GaryCalumetLake StationNorthHobartRossHammondEast ChicagoHobartRossMerrillvillePortagePortage
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Northmostly inland floodingModerate
East Chicagomostly inland floodingModerate
Lake Stationmostly inland floodingLow
Hammondmostly inland floodingLow
Merrillvillemostly inland floodingLow
Hobartmostly inland floodingLow
Rossmostly inland floodingLow
Portagemostly inland floodingLow
Hobartmostly inland floodingLow
Portagemostly inland floodingLow
Calumetmostly inland floodingLow
Garymostly inland floodingLow
Rossmostly cold wavesVery 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. Gary covers 32 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gary’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gary. 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 Gary total about $24.6M 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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