Natural hazards · Mitchell

Mitchell, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mitchell comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Mitchell?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mitchell to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes25%Strong wind11%Earthquakes9%Heat waves5%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Mitchell 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
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Strong wind

11% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Mitchell flood?

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

3paid claims since 1979
$10Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Mitchell isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lawrence County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Mitchell

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MitchellDeclared for Lawrence County only
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

35 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $18K aid approved
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $62K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
Lawrence County has had 19 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. Mitchell covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mitchell’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mitchell. 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 Mitchell total about $963K 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