Natural hazards · Laurel

Laurel, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Laurel comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1983.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Laurel?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Laurel to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes13%Strong wind6%Cold waves6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Laurel faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 20 years in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 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 Laurel flood?

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

14paid claims since 1983

$287Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

2026-08-Indiana-Flooding: 5 claims, $93K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Laurel

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into LaurelDeclared for Franklin County only

Franklin County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Laurel

Laurel and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Laurelmostly inland floodingVery high

Poseymostly inland floodingVery high

Lake Viewmostly inland floodingVery high

Columbiamostly inland floodingVery high

Salt Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Metamoramostly inland floodingModerate

Blooming Grovemostly inland floodingModerate

Jacksonmostly 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. Laurel covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Laurel’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Laurel. 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 Laurel total about $2.1M 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.