Terre Haute’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Terre Haute comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 52 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Terre Haute’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Terre Haute flood? Sometimes: 52 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Terre Haute, from FEMA’s records.
- The Storm16 claims · $360K
- The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $76K
Terre Haute isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Vigo County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Terre Haute
Disasters that paid out in Terre Haute itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Terre Haute) and its biggest flood years.
- 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes2,672 households applied for aid$8.4M aid approved$157K to the City of Terre Haute for repairs18 flood claims paid that year
- 2005Severe Winter Storms and Flooding41 households applied for aid$113K aid approved
- 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding19 households applied for aid$36K aid approved
- 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$57K to the City of Terre Haute for repairs
Vigo County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Old photos of Terre Haute after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Terre Haute archive →How exposed is Terre Haute?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 1,853 of the 1,977 Indiana towns we cover.
Terre Haute covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
What Terre Haute faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Earthquakes
Cold waves
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Get ready for what Terre Haute actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Terre Haute and its neighbors
Terre Haute ranks 5th calmest of 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison | High | inland flooding | 26 |
| Terre Haute | High | inland flooding | 52 |
| Honey Creek | Moderate | inland flooding | 26 |
| North Terre Haute | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Sugar Creek | Low | inland flooding | 15 |
| Lost Creek | Low | inland flooding | 8 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in January–February
The month each of Vigo County’s 14 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Terre Haute’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Terre Haute.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels. Across Terre Haute, expected losses total about $26.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Terre Haute.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.