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Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1986. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Plainfield?

47
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes18%Earthquakes10%Cold waves7%Hail6%Everything else8%
By hazard

What Plainfield faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Plainfield flood?

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

13paid claims since 1986
$89Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19862026

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. Plainfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hendricks County.
Disasters that hit Plainfield

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Hendricks County only
2014

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$50K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved $109K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2007

Snow

$36K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

63 households applied for aid $154K aid approved
1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$23K to the Town of Plainfield for repairs
Hendricks County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Plainfield

Plainfield and the towns around it

Avon: Low, mostly inland floodingGuilford: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingIndianapolis: no dataWayne: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLincoln: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrownsburg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCenter: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMiddle: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrown: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDecatur: Low, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Moderate, mostly inland floodingClay: Moderate, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingPike: Moderate, mostly inland floodingZionsville: Low, mostly inland floodingLawrence: Low, mostly inland floodingBrown: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Low, mostly inland floodingPerry: Moderate, mostly inland floodingVernon: Low, mostly inland floodingMcCordsville: Low, mostly inland floodingWashington: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWarren: Low, mostly inland floodingCenter: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlainfield: Moderate, mostly inland flooding PlainfieldAvonGuilfordLibertyWashingtonIndianapolisWayne
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Waynemostly inland floodingModerate
Guilfordmostly inland floodingModerate
Plainfieldmostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
Avonmostly inland floodingLow
Libertymostly 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. Plainfield covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Plainfield. 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 Plainfield total about $12.2M 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.

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