Natural hazards · Vernon

Vernon, IN natural hazards

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

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vernon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vernon to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes30%Strong wind11%Earthquakes8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Vernon faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 30 years in the area

Strong wind

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Vernon flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

Disasters that hit Vernon

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into VernonDeclared for Jackson County only

Jackson County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Vernon

Vernon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Marionmostly inland floodingHigh

Grassy Forkmostly inland floodingHigh

Gibsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Finleymostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Jenningsmostly tornadoesLow

Vernonmostly 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. Vernon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vernon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Vernon. 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 Vernon 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.