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Henry County, Indiana

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

Relatively Low overall risk
41st of 92highest risk in Indiana
$15Mexpected losses a year
18federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Henry County, Indiana has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 55% of US counties. It ranks 41st of 92 counties in Indiana. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $15 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $301 per resident. Since 1974 it has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (11 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2026 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). Only 48 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $601,000 on 33 claims here.

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

Top risks in Henry County

$8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • 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
$4.3 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.
$718,130 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 570 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow54.8
$8M
TornadoModerate80.7
$4M
EarthquakeLow67.4
$718K
HailLow63.9
$451K
Strong windLow40.0
$431K
Cold waveLow24.2
$320K
LightningLow45.1
$202K
Heat waveVery Low26.6
$113K
Ice stormLow55.1
$111K
Winter weatherLow50.9
$68K
DroughtLow39.0
$62K
HurricaneVery Low20.6
$7K
WildfireVery Low9.1
$3K
LandslideVery Low48.0
$1K

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 relatively low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm6
Snowstorm4
Flood4
Tornado1
Severe Ice Storm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Aug 25, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 15, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingEmergency
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Jun 8, 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Mar 12, 2007SnowEmergency
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 21, 2005Severe Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 11, 2005SnowEmergency
Jun 3, 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 18
Jul 11, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 25, 2002Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jan 15, 1999In-Winter Storm 12/23/98Emergency
Apr 2, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster
Mar 29, 1991Severe Ice StormMajor disaster
Jan 5, 1991Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormsEmergency
Apr 4, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 280 storm reports in Henry County since 1955, with 1 death and 11 injuries and about $35.5 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F4 tornado on April 3, 1974.

23tornadoes
69hail reports, largest 4.25 inches
168damaging thunderstorm winds
15floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 3, 1974F4–0 / 0
May 14, 1972F4–1 / 0
Apr 3, 1974F4–6 / 0
Jun 18, 1962F3–0 / 0
Sep 20, 2002F2New Castle0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 3, 1974Tornado–$25M
May 18, 2000HailMiddletown$5M
Sep 20, 2002TornadoNew Castle$2M
Jun 11, 1998TornadoMt Summit$800K
Jul 22, 2004LightningNew Castle$500K
Jun 8, 1958Tornado–$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 27, 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 Henry County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (48 policies)
18.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$601,177paid on 33 flood claims since 1978
2026costliest year, with $501,847 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 Henry County

$154,400median home value (Indiana $218,200, US $332,700)
1961median year homes were built (Indiana 1976, US 1980)
76%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4%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; 20,996 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
Madison CountyLow21
Delaware CountyLow17
Hancock CountyLow17
Wayne CountyLow14
Randolph CountyVery Low18
Fayette CountyVery Low15
Rush CountyVery Low15

Common questions about Henry County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Henry County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Henry County, about $8 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $4.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Henry County had?

Henry County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1974, including 11 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in August 2026.

Is Henry County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 41st 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 Henry County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Henry 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 Henry County had?

NOAA records list 23 tornadoes in Henry County since 1950. The strongest was an F4 tornado on April 3, 1974. The weather service has also logged 69 hail reports and 15 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.