Hazard Plain Automated baseline

DeKalb County, IN

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
18033
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2031-06-30. Plan: DeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), approved 2026-07-01.

Since the plan was approved on 2026-07-01: no new hazard declaration; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($7,247,721 a year), Tornado ($2,424,180) and Strong Wind ($1,346,344).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2031-06-30
Plan:
DeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961)
Approved:
2026-07-01
Days to expiry:
1,734

What changed since your last plan (approved 2026-07-01)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 3
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
DeKalb CountyCountyApproved, expires 2031-06-30DeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961)2026-07-012031-06-301,734
Altona townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Ashley townTownExpired on 2026-02-22Steuben County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106933)2021-02-232026-02-22-220FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Auburn cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Butler cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Corunna townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Garrett cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Hamilton townTownExpired on 2026-02-22Steuben County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 106933)2021-02-232026-02-22-220FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
St. Joe townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Waterloo townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleDeKalb County 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 111961), pending adoption here2026-07-01 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2031-06-30 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$7,198,056$10,439$39,226$7,247,7218
2TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,521,322$3,456$899,402$2,424,1808
3Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$481,056$8,026$857,262$1,346,344101Includes 10 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
4Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$360$31,842$843,683$875,8865
5HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$485,284$20,657$2,065$508,00646
6EarthquakeVery LowRelatively Low$368,944n/a$38,281$407,225Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
7DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$253,616n/a$253,6160No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
8LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$17,058n/a$140,683$157,7411
9Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$3,800$2$98,524$102,3260No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$43,499n/a$16,179$59,6784
11Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$2,982$444$30,338$33,76480
12HurricaneVery LowVery Low$4,472$2,661$13$7,1460No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$3,823$4$319$4,1460No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideVery LowVery Low$57n/a$784$8410No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 205 (Relatively Low, 74.6); tract 206.02 (Relatively Low, 70.9); tract 203 (Relatively Low, 65.8)
Hurricanetract 201 (Very Low, 41.8); tract 205 (Very Low, 32.9); tract 203 (Very Low, 32.9)
Landslidetract 201 (Relatively Low, 88.6); tract 207 (Relatively Low, 84.2); tract 208 (Relatively Low, 81.3)
Tornadotract 205 (Very High, 94.0); tract 206.02 (Relatively High, 90.0); tract 204 (Relatively High, 89.0)
Wildfiretract 207 (Very Low, 66.2); tract 201 (Very Low, 63.2); tract 206.02 (Very Low, 59.4)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 205 is Census Tract 205). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill5 records, 2014 to 2024 (5 zone-level)1 day to 3 days (median 2 days); 5 with a recorded value3 consecutive days, 2019-01-29 to 2019-01-31, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)58 records, 1975 to 20240.75 in to 3.5 in (median 1 in); 57 with a recorded value3.5 in hail, 2024-05-07Hail, 2024-05-07, $200,000 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (12 records), Butler city (7 records), Corunna town (5 records), Waterloo town (4 records), Altona town (3 records), Garrett city (3 records), St. Joe town (2 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)4 records, 2002 to 2008 (4 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2007-02-24, $25,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars); NWS zone INZ009Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)8 records, 1996 to 2025 (1 zone-level)Flood, 2000-09-11, $250,000 property; crops not reported (2000 dollars); NWS zone INZ009Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (2 records), Altona town (1 record). Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)1 record, 2025Lightning, 2025-03-19, $15,000 property; $0 crops (2025 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)11 records, 1996 to 2021 (11 zone-level)40 kt (46 mph) to 56 kt (64 mph) (median 50 kt (58 mph)); 11 with a recorded value56 kt (64 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2003-11-12; NWS zone INZ009Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)120 records, 1955 to 202550 kt (58 mph) to 75 kt (86 mph) (median 55 kt (63 mph)); 77 with a recorded value75 kt (86 mph) measured, Thunderstorm Wind, 2001-08-22Thunderstorm Wind, 2005-11-06, $750,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Auburn city (27 records), Garrett city (10 records), Butler city (7 records), Waterloo town (7 records), Altona town (5 records), St. Joe town (4 records), Corunna town (3 records), Hamilton town (3 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)13 records, 1968 to 2001F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median between F/EF0 and F/EF1); 12 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1992-07-14, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 150 yd wide, $25,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1992 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Corunna town (2 records), Auburn city (1 record), St. Joe town (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)80 records, 1999 to 2026 (80 zone-level)No damage reported in 80 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 15 declarations covering 12 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Storm Events records since the plan: not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet.

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-01-242026-01-23EM-3641-INEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 years
2020-04-032020-01-20DR-4515-INMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$1,268,449.81
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3456-INEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4515
2009-04-222009-03-08DR-1832-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2008-01-302008-01-07DR-1740-INMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$245,208.77
2007-03-122007-02-12EM-3274-INEmergencySnowWinter Weather$25,278.97
2005-09-102005-08-29EM-3238-INEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-01-212005-01-01DR-1573-INMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and FloodingInland Flooding; Winter WeatherPA not declared for this county
2004-06-032004-05-25DR-1520-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2001-01-242000-12-11EM-3162-INEmergencySnowWinter Weather$16,614.75
1999-01-151999-01-01EM-3135-INEmergencyIn-Winter Storm 12/23/98Winter Weather$40,562.55
1996-07-031996-04-28DR-1125-INMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1992-09-181992-06-16DR-962-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1991-01-051990-12-28DR-891-INMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
1982-03-201982-03-20DR-652-INMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
2002-06-132002-04-28DR-1418-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado
1964-03-171964-03-17DR-162-INMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1961-05-201961-05-20DR-113-INMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1954-10-261954-10-26DR-30-INMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave502001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Earthquake00000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail5805001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm400001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding811801996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning101001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind131012001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 10 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado1300301950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather80312501996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2025-03-19Lightning$15,000 property; $0 crops (2025 dollars)0, 0AUBURNwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2024-05-07Hail3.5 in$40,000 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars)0, 0SUMMITwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2019-01-29Extreme Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ009 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2011-08-09Thunderstorm Wind55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)1, 0AUBURNdeaths or injuries recorded
2007-02-24Ice Storm$25,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2007 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ009 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Ice Storm
2005-11-06Thunderstorm Wind65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust$750,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars)0, 0COUNTYWIDEB1-c most damaging: Thunderstorm Wind
2003-11-12High Wind56 kt (64 mph) measured gust$0 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2003 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ009 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2001-08-22Thunderstorm Wind75 kt (86 mph) measured$0 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)0, 0AUBURNB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2000-09-11Flood$250,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2000 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ009 (DE KALB), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1996-05-17Flash Flood$30,000 property; $75,000 crops (1996 dollars)1, 0N DEKALB COUNTYdeaths or injuries recorded
1992-07-14TornadoF2, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 150 yd wide$25,000,000 property; crops not recorded (1992 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1991-03-27Thunderstorm Windspeed not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)1, 0location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (300 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave3.47event-days per yearabout 3.47 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)662005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought1.94event-days per yearabout 1.94 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)492000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.00127annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.127%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail3.34events per yearabout 3.34 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)127.0 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.37event-days per yearabout 4.37 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)692005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricane0.00726events per yearabout 1 in 138 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)21851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm1.51event-days per yearabout 1.51 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)1021946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.25event-days per yearabout 0.25 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 7 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (23.3%)71996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.0796events per year (modeled)about 1 in 13 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning39days per year with a strikeabout 39 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind5.14events per yearabout 5.14 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1961986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.214events per yearabout 1 in 5 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0000118annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00118%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather11.2event-days per yearabout 11.2 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 23 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (76.7%)2122005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202523300.767
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20254300.133
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202574302.47
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20252300.0667
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202514300.467
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20256300.2
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave9 of 951.567.978.9Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 8
Drought9 of 980.989.196.1Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 6
Earthquake9 of 935.655.174.6Relatively Low 7, Very Low 2
Hail9 of 969.384.890.9Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave9 of 97.316.228.2Relatively Low 3, Very Low 6
Hurricane9 of 924.531.941.8Very Low 9
Ice Storm9 of 936.761.173.1Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 8
Inland Flooding9 of 919.366.089.6Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 4, Relatively Low 3
Landslide9 of 955.176.288.6Relatively Low 3, Very Low 6
Lightning9 of 943.665.479.4Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 2
Strong Wind9 of 987.095.498.1Very High 3, Relatively High 6
Tornado9 of 963.982.794.0Very High 1, Relatively High 6, Relatively Moderate 2
Wildfire9 of 941.557.566.2Very Low 9
Winter Weather9 of 944.559.971.4Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 2

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
DeKalb CountyCountyApproved, expires 2031-06-30FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$240,996.330 total; not yet coveredIncludes $5,408.51 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4515-IN).
Altona townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded9 total; no approved plan
Ashley townTownExpired on 2026-02-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$4,333.420 total; 0 since its plan
Auburn cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 3$72,72943 total; no approved plan
Butler cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$6,286.7014 total; no approved plan
Corunna townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded10 total; no approved plan
Garrett cityCityPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded13 total; no approved plan
Hamilton townTownExpired on 2026-02-22FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded3 total; 1 since its plan
St. Joe townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded7 total; no approved plan
Waterloo townTownPlan 111961 approved 2026-07-01, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded11 total; no approved plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2026-07-01county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$360$31,842$843,683under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$52,124,363n/an/a$253,616n/a0.487% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$20,565,945,840n/a43,265$368,944n/a$38,2810.00179%
Hail$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$485,284$20,657$2,0650.00431%
Heat Wave$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$3,800$2$98,524under 0.0001%
Hurricane$11,243,732,706$119,910,66443,198$4,472$2,661$13under 0.0001%
Ice Storm$11,246,722,319n/a43,222$43,499n/a$16,1790.000387%
Inland Flooding$11,243,726,308$4,876,752710$7,198,056$10,439$39,226n/a (see note)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$45,117,238n/a165$57n/a$7840.000126%
Lightning$11,246,722,319n/a43,222$17,058n/a$140,6830.000152%
Strong Wind$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$481,056$8,026$857,2620.00428%
Tornado$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$1,521,322$3,456$899,4020.0135%
Wildfire$3,710,184,893$40,044,78315,355$3,823$4$3190.000103%
Winter Weather$11,246,722,319$120,755,42843,222$2,982$444$30,338under 0.0001%

Totals since 2026-07-01: Storm Events not yet covered: Storm Events data run through 2026-06-30, before the approval date, so there is no period to count yet; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population43,222
Building value (total, not at risk)$11,246,722,319
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$120,755,428
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$10,461,858
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$2,966,761
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingVery High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition3Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0030303
of which: Auburn city0030303
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0060600

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
DeKalb County1800440000000
Altona town1800450000000
Ashley town1802460000000
Auburn city1800460030303
Butler city1800470000000
Corunna town1852810000000
Garrett city1800480000000
Hamilton town1802480000000
St. Joe town1800490000000
Waterloo town1800500000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0000000
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0010101
non-residential0020202
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 3 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). DeKalb County, IN: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 18033). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/in/18033/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org