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Natural hazards · Hammond

Hammond, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hammond comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 310 claims here since 1980. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Hammond?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hammond to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves28%Tornadoes23%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Hammond faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% 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

23% 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 Hammond flood?

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

310paid claims since 1980
$1.6Mpaid to owners
31homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 77 claims, $584K

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. Hammond 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 Hammond

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HammondDeclared for Lake County only
2026

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

4,886 households applied for aid $7.7M aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

88 households applied for aid $20K aid approved
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

42 households applied for aid $11K aid approved
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $63K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,751 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

688 households applied for aid $904K aid approved
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

626 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

38 households applied for aid $21K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $92K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $969 aid approved
Lake County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Hammond

Hammond and the towns around it

Highland: High, mostly inland floodingMunster: High, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Chicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWhiting: Low, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Low, mostly inland floodingGary: Low, mostly inland floodingThornton: Very high, mostly inland floodingCalumet City: High, mostly inland floodingLansing: High, mostly inland floodingGriffith: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDyer: High, mostly inland floodingBloom: High, mostly inland floodingLeyden: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMaine: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRosemont: Low, mostly inland floodingWorth: Very high, mostly inland floodingSchiller Park: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Moderate, mostly inland floodingStickney: High, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Very high, mostly inland floodingPark Ridge: Moderate, mostly inland floodingElk Grove: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNiles: Low, mostly inland floodingDes Plaines: Moderate, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingLake Station: Low, mostly inland floodingSchererville: Low, mostly inland floodingRoss: Very low, mostly cold wavesRoss: Low, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrillville: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingBremen: High, mostly inland floodingBurnham: High, mostly inland floodingThornton: Low, mostly inland floodingRiverdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingDixmoor: Very high, mostly inland floodingSouth Holland: Very high, mostly inland floodingDolton: Very high, mostly inland floodingLynwood: Very high, mostly inland floodingHammond: Low, mostly inland flooding HammondHighlandMunsterNorthEast ChicagoChicagoWhitingCalumetGaryThorntonCalumet CityLansing
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Thorntonmostly inland floodingVery high
Munstermostly inland floodingHigh
Lansingmostly inland floodingHigh
Calumet Citymostly inland floodingHigh
Highlandmostly inland floodingHigh
Northmostly inland floodingModerate
Chicagomostly inland floodingModerate
East Chicagomostly inland floodingModerate
Whitingmostly inland floodingLow
Hammondmostly inland floodingLow
Calumetmostly inland floodingLow
Garymostly 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. Hammond covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hammond’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hammond. 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 Hammond total about $26.7M 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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