Natural hazards · Lafayette

Lafayette, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lafayette comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1995. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lafayette?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lafayette to be higher than in 52% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes25%Cold waves13%Strong wind8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Lafayette faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 53 years in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 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 Lafayette flood?

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

4paid claims since 1995

$14Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19952026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Floyd County.

Disasters that hit Lafayette

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LafayetteDeclared for Floyd County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$8K to the Township of Lafayette for repairs

Floyd County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Lafayette

Lafayette and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Carrmostly inland floodingHigh

Woodmostly inland floodingHigh

New Albanymostly inland floodingModerate

Georgetownmostly inland floodingModerate

Lafayettemostly inland floodingModerate

Greenvillemostly inland floodingModerate

Floyds Knobsmostly inland floodingModerate

Galenamostly inland floodingModerate

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. Lafayette covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lafayette’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lafayette. 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 Lafayette total about $3.6M 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.