Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1982.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Tornadoes7%Cold waves6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Washington flood?

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

3paid claims since 1982

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Miami County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Miami County only

Miami County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Perumostly inland floodingVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Claymostly inland floodingModerate

Butlermostly inland floodingModerate

Pipe Creekmostly 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. Washington covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Washington. 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 Washington total about $1.5M 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.