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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 high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 82 claims here since 1982. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Spencer?

74
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Spencer to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Strong wind9%Tornadoes8%Everything else14%
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

69% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 62 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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?

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

82paid claims since 1982
$2.2Mpaid to owners
11homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 38 claims, $1.5M
  • Central U.S. April Flooding: 3 claims, $101K

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. 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: Owen County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

24flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Spencer

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpencerDeclared for Owen County only
2025

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

$30K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2023

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

58 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $63K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

367 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $137K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2005

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

75 households applied for aid $280K aid approved $7K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2004

Snow

$6K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $11K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $39K aid approved
2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$4K to the Town of Spencer for repairs
Owen County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
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 is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
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 Town of Spencer. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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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