Natural hazards · Pierson

Pierson, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pierson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pierson?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pierson to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves14%Tornadoes12%Earthquakes9%Strong wind9%Heat waves5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Pierson 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

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 21 years in the area

Earthquakes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

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 weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Pierson flood?

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

1paid claims since 2008

$38Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $38K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Vigo County.

Disasters that hit Pierson

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into PiersonDeclared for Vigo County only

Vigo County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Pierson

Pierson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lewismostly inland floodingModerate

Perrymostly inland floodingModerate

Rileymostly inland floodingLow

Piersonmostly inland floodingLow

Lintonmostly inland floodingLow

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

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pierson’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Pierson. 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 Pierson total about $1.8M 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.