Natural hazards · Hope

Hope, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hope comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hope?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hope to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding60%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Hope faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 20 years in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Hope flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hope.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bartholomew County.

Disasters that hit Hope

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HopeDeclared for Bartholomew County only

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

64 households applied for aid $215K aid approved $13K to the Town of Hope for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved

2004

Snow

$5K to the Town of Hope for repairs

Bartholomew County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Hope is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Hope’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Hope. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.