Natural hazards · Medora

Medora, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Medora comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2008. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Medora?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Medora to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes18%Strong wind7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Medora faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Medora flood?

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

16paid claims since 2008

$247Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 13 claims, $211K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Medora

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MedoraDeclared for Jackson County only

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $29K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

70 households applied for aid $293K aid approved $3K to the Town of Medora for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2004

Snow

$1K to the Town of Medora for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

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

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. Medora is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Medora’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Medora. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.