Natural hazards · St. John

St. John, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. John comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 77 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is St. John?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. John to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding53%Cold waves22%Tornadoes20%Everything else6%

By hazard

What St. John faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 St. John flood?

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

77paid claims since 1979

$2.8Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 22 claims, $1.2M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lake County.

Disasters that hit St. John

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in St. John itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of St. John.

Brought FEMA money into St. JohnDeclared for Lake County only

1999

In-Winter Storm 12/23/98

$13K to the Township of St. John for repairs

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

Around St. John

St. John and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Willowbrookmostly inland floodingHigh

Munstermostly inland floodingHigh

Dyermostly inland floodingHigh

Northmostly inland floodingModerate

Cretemostly inland floodingModerate

St. Johnmostly inland floodingModerate

Scherervillemostly inland floodingLow

St. Johnmostly inland floodingLow

Merrillvillemostly inland floodingLow

Griffithmostly inland floodingLow

Rossmostly inland floodingLow

Hanovermostly inland floodingLow

Calumetmostly inland floodingLow

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. St. John covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. John’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of St. John. 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 St. John total about $29.1M 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.