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Natural hazards · Portage

Portage, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portage comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 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 Portage?

31
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Portage to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding44%Tornadoes25%Cold waves21%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Portage faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Cold waves

21% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Portage flood?

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

15paid claims since 1979
$331Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $1K

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Portage

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortageDeclared for Porter County only
2026

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3,132 households applied for aid $4.0M aid approved
2018

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

638 households applied for aid $873K aid approved
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $6K aid approved
Porter County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Around Portage

Portage and the towns around it

Burns Harbor: Very low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland floodingOgden Dunes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWestchester: Low, mostly inland floodingChesterton: Low, mostly inland floodingGary: Low, mostly inland floodingCalumet: Low, mostly inland floodingDune Acres: Low, mostly inland floodingPorter: Low, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Very low, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingHobart: Low, mostly inland floodingPine: Low, mostly inland floodingBeverly Shores: Low, mostly inland floodingJackson: Very low, mostly inland floodingLake Station: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoss: Very low, mostly cold wavesHammond: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Chicago: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoss: Low, mostly inland floodingMerrillville: Low, mostly inland floodingGriffith: Low, mostly inland floodingHighland: High, mostly inland floodingSt. John: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSchererville: Low, mostly inland floodingPortage: Low, mostly inland flooding PortageBurns HarborPortageOgden DunesWestchesterChestertonGaryCalumet
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Ogden Dunesmostly inland floodingModerate
Portagemostly inland floodingLow
Portagemostly inland floodingLow
Chestertonmostly inland floodingLow
Westchestermostly inland floodingLow
Calumetmostly inland floodingLow
Garymostly inland floodingLow
Burns Harbormostly inland floodingVery low
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. Portage covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Portage’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portage. 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 Portage total about $12.5M 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
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