TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
HighlandGood evening
Natural hazards · Highland

Highland, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Highland comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 638 claims here since 1979. 14 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Highland?

60
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Highland to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves23%Tornadoes18%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Highland faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

23% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% 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 Highland flood?

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

638paid claims since 1979
$9.4Mpaid to owners
26homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 19 claims, $339K

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. Highland 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 Highland

14 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HighlandDeclared for Lake County only
2026

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

1,568 households applied for aid $2.6M aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

22 households applied for aid
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
2014

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to the Town of Highland for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

233 households applied for aid $376K aid approved
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

24 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2007

Snow

$35K to the Town of Highland for repairs
2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,507 households applied for aid $4.2M aid approved
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $441 aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2000

Snow

$49K to the Town of Highland for repairs
1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$71K to the Town of Highland for repairs
Lake County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Highland

Highland and the towns around it

Hammond: Low, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGriffith: Low, mostly inland floodingMunster: High, mostly inland floodingGary: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Chicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingChicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWhiting: Low, mostly inland floodingThornton: Very high, mostly inland floodingCalumet City: High, mostly inland floodingLansing: High, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLake Station: Low, mostly inland floodingSchererville: Low, mostly inland floodingRoss: Very low, mostly cold wavesRoss: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrillville: Low, mostly inland floodingDyer: High, mostly inland floodingBloom: High, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland: High, mostly inland flooding HighlandHammondCalumetNorthGriffithMunsterGary
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Munstermostly inland floodingHigh
Highlandmostly inland floodingHigh
Northmostly inland floodingModerate
Hammondmostly inland floodingLow
Griffithmostly 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. Highland covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Highland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Highland. 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 Highland total about $10.0M 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.

The porch light’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Highland, INView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Highland is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

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