Natural hazards · Kelso

Kelso, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kelso comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kelso?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kelso to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes29%Cold waves13%Strong wind11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Kelso faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 14% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 55 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Kelso flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dearborn County.

Disasters that hit Kelso

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Dearborn County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Kelso itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into KelsoDeclared for Dearborn County only

Dearborn County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Kelso

Kelso and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Highlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Loganmostly inland floodingHigh

Yorkmostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly inland floodingModerate

Kelsomostly inland floodingVery low

St. Leonmostly 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. Kelso covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kelso’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Kelso. 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 Kelso total about $833K 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.