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Hendricks County, Indiana

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
14th of 92highest risk in Indiana
$60Mexpected losses a year
12federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Hendricks County, Indiana has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 77% of US counties. It ranks 14th of 92 counties in Indiana. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $60 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $350 per resident. Since 1996 it has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2026 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (152 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $696,000 on 77 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Hendricks County

$34.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Tornado

Moderate
$9.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 3 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.

Cold wave

Moderate
$5.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 3 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate81.0
$34M
TornadoModerate87.0
$10M
Cold waveModerate77.2
$5M
EarthquakeLow82.1
$3M
HailModerate89.0
$3M
Heat waveLow75.9
$2M
Strong windModerate76.7
$2M
Winter weatherHigh89.5
$645K
LightningModerate58.3
$517K
DroughtLow56.1
$363K
Ice stormLow58.4
$205K
WildfireVery Low10.7
$6K
HurricaneVery Low12.3
$5K
LandslideVery Low44.8
$2K

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Hendricks County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm6
Flood2
Snowstorm2
Hurricane1
Winter Storm1

Most recent

Aug 15, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingEmergency
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Apr 22, 2014Severe Winter Storm and SnowstormMajor disaster
Jun 8, 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Mar 12, 2007SnowEmergency
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 21, 2005Severe Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 25, 2002Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Show all 12
Jan 15, 1999In-Winter Storm 12/23/98Emergency
Apr 2, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster

Indiana also had 5 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1954

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 576 storm reports in Hendricks County since 1954, with 2 deaths and 22 injuries and about $15.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF2 tornado on April 2, 2025 near Brownsburg Arpt.

33tornadoes
210hail reports, largest 3 inches
275damaging thunderstorm winds
42floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 2, 2025EF2Brownsburg Arpt1 / 0
May 15, 1968F2–5 / 0
May 27, 1973F2–0 / 0
Oct 17, 1988F2–0 / 0
Jun 2, 1990F2–5 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 27, 1994Thunderstorm WindBrownsburg$5M
Sep 1, 2003Flash FloodCountywide$3M
Apr 2, 2025TornadoBrownsburg Arpt$1M
Jun 24, 2014TornadoSix Pts$1M
Jul 17, 2023HailDanville$800K
Jan 29, 2008Thunderstorm WindAvon$750K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 4, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Hendricks County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (152 policies)
17.6%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$695,619paid on 77 flood claims since 1978
2013costliest year, with $245,637 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Hendricks County

$307,600median home value (Indiana $218,200, US $332,700)
1998median year homes were built (Indiana 1976, US 1980)
28%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
1.3%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 69,675 housing units.

Compare in Indiana

All 92 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Marion CountyHighInland flooding
Lake CountyHighInland flooding
Allen CountyModerateInland flooding
Hamilton CountyModerateInland flooding
St. Joseph CountyModerateInland flooding
Elkhart CountyModerateInland flooding
Tippecanoe CountyModerateInland flooding
Vanderburgh CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Marion CountyHigh18
Morgan CountyLow18
Boone CountyLow16
Montgomery CountyVery Low19
Putnam CountyLow18

Cities in Hendricks County

Common questions about Hendricks County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Hendricks County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Hendricks County, about $34.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $9.6 million.

How many federal disasters has Hendricks County had?

Hendricks County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1996, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in August 2026.

Is Hendricks County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 14th highest of 92 in Indiana. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Hendricks County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 333 homes in Hendricks County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Hendricks County had?

NOAA records list 33 tornadoes in Hendricks County since 1950. The strongest was an EF2 tornado on April 2, 2025 near Brownsburg Arpt. The weather service has also logged 210 hail reports and 42 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.