Natural hazards · Selma

Selma, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Selma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Selma?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes25%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Selma faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 34 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Selma flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Selma.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Delaware County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Selma

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SelmaDeclared for Delaware County only

2026

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

33 households applied for aid $279K aid approved

2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

185 households applied for aid $125K aid approved $9K to the Town of Selma for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $70K aid approved

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

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. Selma covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Selma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Selma. 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 Selma total about $1.0M 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.