Natural hazards · Lawrence

Lawrence, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawrence comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 61 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lawrence?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawrence to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes16%Cold waves11%Heat waves8%Earthquakes6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Lawrence faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Lawrence flood?

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

61paid claims since 1978

$872Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 1 claim, $872
Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $13K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $242

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

Disasters that hit Lawrence

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawrenceDeclared for Marion County only

1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$3K to the Township of Lawrence for repairs

Marion County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Lawrence

Lawrence and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Fall Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

Fishersmostly inland floodingModerate

Buck Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Delawaremostly inland floodingLow

Lawrencemostly inland floodingLow

Warrenmostly inland floodingLow

Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

McCordsvillemostly inland floodingLow

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. Lawrence covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lawrence’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lawrence. 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 Lawrence total about $30.2M 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.