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Natural hazards · Lake Station

Lake Station, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lake Station comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 110 claims here since 1979. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lake Station?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lake Station to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves29%Tornadoes22%Everything else7%
By hazard

What Lake Station 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 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

29% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% 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 Lake Station flood?

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

110paid claims since 1979
$4.4Mpaid to owners
24homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 67 claims, $3.8M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Lake Station 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Lake Station

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Lake StationDeclared for Lake County only
2026

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

1,246 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

11 households applied for aid
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $53K aid approved
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

643 households applied for aid $3.6M aid approved $876K to the City of Lake Station for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

67 households applied for aid $175K aid approved
2007

Snow

$27K to the City of Lake Station for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $14K aid approved
2000

Snow

$13K to the City of Lake Station for repairs
1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$24K to the City of Lake Station for repairs
Lake County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Lake Station

Lake Station and the towns around it

Hobart: Low, mostly inland floodingGary: Low, mostly inland floodingNew Chicago: Very low, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrillville: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Very low, mostly inland floodingRoss: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoss: Very low, mostly cold wavesHammond: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Chicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingGriffith: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland: High, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSchererville: Low, mostly inland floodingLake Station: Low, mostly inland flooding Lake StationHobartGaryNew ChicagoHobartCalumet
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lake Stationmostly inland floodingLow
Hobartmostly inland floodingLow
Hobartmostly inland floodingLow
Calumetmostly inland floodingLow
Garymostly inland floodingLow
New Chicagomostly 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. Lake Station covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lake Station’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lake Station. 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 Lake Station total about $5.3M 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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