Home › Indiana › Scott County

Scott County, Indiana

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

Very Low overall risk
76th of 92highest risk in Indiana
$9Mexpected losses a year
15federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Scott County, Indiana has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 78% of US counties. It ranks 76th of 92 counties in Indiana. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and strong wind. FEMA estimates about $8.8 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $362 per resident. Since 1974 it has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (12 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2026 (severe winter storm). Only 20 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $210,000 on 12 claims here.

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

Top risks in Scott County

$3.2 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
$3.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 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.

Strong wind

Moderate
$922,516 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 5 times a year.
  • Secure outdoor furniture and trash bins before storms.
  • Have trees near the house checked.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low23.9
$3M
TornadoModerate72.6
$3M
Strong windModerate64.1
$923K
EarthquakeLow64.1
$655K
Cold waveLow29.3
$445K
Heat waveVery Low31.9
$170K
LightningLow30.0
$122K
DroughtLow37.9
$62K
HailVery Low15.5
$59K
Ice stormLow34.3
$45K
Winter weatherVery Low17.4
$17K
HurricaneVery Low20.0
$7K
LandslideVery Low58.3
$3K
WildfireVery Low6.1
$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 relatively low and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm8
Flood3
Tornado1
Snowstorm1
Hurricane1
Winter Storm1

Most recent

Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Mar 9, 2012Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 23, 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, AndMajor disaster
Mar 5, 2009Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Sep 23, 2008Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 21, 2005Severe Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 11, 2005SnowEmergency
Sep 1, 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 15
Apr 2, 1996Blizzard of 96Major disaster
Aug 17, 1992Severe Storms & Flash FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 5, 1991Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 4, 1990Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 4, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1961

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 156 storm reports in Scott County since 1961, with 2 deaths and 74 injuries and about $4.6 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974.

17tornadoes
27hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
90damaging thunderstorm winds
22floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 3, 1974F5–10 / 0
Mar 2, 2012EF4Nabb0 / 1
Apr 3, 1974F4–15 / 1
Jun 2, 1990F3–0 / 0
Mar 10, 1986F2–25 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 10, 1986Tornado–$3M
Mar 2, 2012TornadoNabb$500K
Mar 6, 1961Tornado–$250K
Jun 2, 1990Tornado–$250K
Mar 1, 2017TornadoVienna$250K
Mar 1, 2017Thunderstorm WindAustin$200K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 21, 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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1888, 0 hurricanes and 1 tropical storm have passed within 65 miles of the center of Scott County. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, with top winds near 50 mph about 62 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
1tropical storms
1888most recent: unnamed storm

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Aug 21, 1888UnnamedTropical storm, 50 mph62 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Scott County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (20 policies)
13.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$209,674paid on 12 flood claims since 1978
2026costliest year, with $135,991 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 Scott County

$158,400median home value (Indiana $218,200, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (Indiana 1976, US 1980)
46%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
16.6%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; 10,840 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
Clark CountyModerate18
Jackson CountyLow15
Jefferson CountyLow23
Washington CountyVery Low18
Jennings CountyVery Low16

Common questions about Scott County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Scott County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Scott County, about $3.2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $3.1 million.

How many federal disasters has Scott County had?

Scott County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1974, including 12 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in January 2026.

Is Scott County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 76th 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 Scott County?

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

NOAA records list 17 tornadoes in Scott County since 1950. The strongest was an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974. The weather service has also logged 27 hail reports and 22 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Scott County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 1 tropical storm passing within 65 miles of the center of Scott County. The strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, with winds near 50 mph.

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.