Natural hazards · Smithfield

Smithfield, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Smithfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2009.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Smithfield?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Smithfield to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes17%Strong wind11%Drought7%Cold waves7%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Smithfield faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Smithfield flood?

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

1paid claims since 2009

$55Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20092026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.

Disasters that hit Smithfield

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into SmithfieldDeclared for DeKalb County only

DeKalb County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Smithfield

Smithfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Grantmostly inland floodingLow

Smithfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Franklinmostly inland floodingVery low

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Steubenmostly 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. Smithfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Smithfield’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Smithfield. 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 Smithfield total about $1.4M 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.