Natural hazards · Spencer

Spencer, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Spencer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Spencer?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Spencer to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes28%Cold waves9%Strong wind7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Spencer faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 24 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Spencer flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Harrison County.

Disasters that hit Spencer

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpencerDeclared for Harrison County only

Harrison County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Spencer

Spencer and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Whiskey Runmostly inland floodingVery high

Jenningsmostly inland floodingVery high

Jacksonmostly inland floodingHigh

Harrisonmostly inland floodingModerate

Spencermostly inland floodingModerate

Blue Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

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. Spencer covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Spencer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Spencer. 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 Spencer total about $1.7M 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.