Washington Township’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington Township comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2005.
How exposed is Washington Township?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.
Rated higher than 1,763 of the 1,977 Indiana towns we cover.
Washington Township covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
What Washington Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Cold waves
Strong wind
Does Washington Township flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Washington Township, from FEMA’s records.
Washington Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Putnam County.Federal disasters declared here
None of the disasters declared for Putnam County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Washington Township itself in FEMA’s records.
Putnam County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Get ready for what Washington Township 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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.
Washington Township and its neighbors
Washington Township ranks 8th calmest of 9 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | High | inland flooding | 3 |
| Madison Township | High | inland flooding | 0 |
| Warren Township | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Cloverdale Township | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Jackson Township | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Cass Township | Moderate | inland flooding | 0 |
| Van Buren Township | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Jackson Township | Low | inland flooding | 0 |
| Greencastle Township | Low | inland flooding | 2 |
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 Putnam County’s 17 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 Washington Township’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 Township.
- 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 Washington Township, expected losses total about $2.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Washington Township.
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.