Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Marion County, IN

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
18097
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 2030-04-13. Plan: Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211), approved 2025-04-14.

Since the plan was approved on 2025-04-14: 3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents) and 52 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($163,495,141 a year), Tornado ($39,395,854) and Cold Wave ($27,278,295).

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 2030-04-13
Plan:
Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)
Approved:
2025-04-14
Days to expiry:
1,291

What changed since your last plan (approved 2025-04-14)

New federal declarations:
3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): EM-3641-IN (Severe Winter Storm), EM-3651-IN (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding), DR-4933-IN (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding)
Storm Events records since approval:
52 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 12, SRL 38 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 211
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 expiryNotes
Marion CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
Beech Grove cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
Indianapolis cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291
Lawrence cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
Southport cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
Speedway townTownApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
Marion County Soil & Water Conservation DistrictConservation DistrictApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17
School Safety CommitteeSchool/School DistrictApproved, expires 2030-04-13Marion County 2024 Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110211)2025-04-142030-04-131,291this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-17

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 HighRelatively High$162,892,660$407$602,074$163,495,141126
2TornadoVery HighRelatively High$22,381,935$194$17,013,726$39,395,85415
3Cold WaveRelatively HighVery High$811$12,892$27,264,592$27,278,2957
4EarthquakeRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$16,546,567n/a$5,466,464$22,013,031Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
5Heat WaveRelatively HighRelatively High$451under $1$19,736,653$19,737,1045
6Strong WindVery HighVery High$477,123$68$6,360,714$6,837,904384Includes 24 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
7LightningVery HighRelatively High$119,232n/a$2,299,643$2,418,87422
8HailRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$2,307,740$772$52,722$2,361,234309
9Ice StormRelatively HighRelatively High$465,262n/a$145,196$610,4572
10Winter WeatherRelatively HighRelatively High$156,663$51$413,583$570,29753
11DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$49,988n/a$49,9886
12HurricaneVery LowVery Low$18,981$229$36$19,2460No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13WildfireVery LowVery Low$7,527under $1$1,338$8,8650No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14LandslideRelatively LowVery Low$2,248n/a$1,832$4,0800No 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 3910.01 (Relatively High, 92.5); tract 3515 (Relatively High, 90.4); tract 3910.02 (Relatively Moderate, 87.9)
Hurricanetract 3202.05 (Very Low, 30.6); tract 3102.01 (Very Low, 29.1); tract 3101.05 (Very Low, 26.9)
Landslidetract 3301.07 (Relatively Low, 88.7); tract 3801.03 (Relatively Low, 87.7); tract 3101.13 (Relatively Low, 86.5)
Tornadotract 3910.01 (Very High, 96.1); tract 3202.05 (Very High, 95.1); tract 3102.01 (Relatively High, 93.1)
Wildfiretract 3903 (Very Low, 61.3); tract 3616.02 (Very Low, 57.4); tract 3801.03 (Very Low, 50.5)

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 3910.01 is Census Tract 3910.01). 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 chill7 records, 1996 to 2026 (7 zone-level)1 day to 4 days (median 1 day); 7 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 1996-02-02 to 1996-02-05, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)6 records, 2010 to 2012 (6 zone-level)61 days to 92 days (median 76.5 days); 2 with a recorded value92 days (about 3.0 months), 2012-06-12 to 2012-09-11, a run of 4 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm 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)373 records, 1955 to 20260.75 in to 3 in (median 1 in); 373 with a recorded value3 in hail, 2011-05-22; same size also recorded on 1965-06-29Hail, 2006-04-14, $30,000 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Indianapolis city (83 records), Beech Grove city (18 records), Southport city (16 records), Lawrence city (12 records), Speedway town (12 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)5 records, 1997 to 2026 (5 zone-level)1 day to 6 days (median 1 day); 5 with a recorded value6 consecutive days, 2023-08-20 to 2023-08-25, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
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)2 records, 2011 to 2018 (2 zone-level)No damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)126 records, 1996 to 2026 (23 zone-level)Flood, 2003-07-06, $10,600,000 property; crops not reported (2003 dollars); NWS zone INZ047Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Indianapolis city (22 records), Beech Grove city (3 records), Speedway town (3 records), Lawrence city (2 records), Southport city (1 record). Zone-level records (23) 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)22 records, 1996 to 2023Lightning, 2006-07-18, $0 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars), 1 direct death, 1 direct injuryLightning, 2023-07-08, $750,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Indianapolis city (5 records), Southport city (3 records), Speedway town (2 records), Lawrence 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)25 records, 1996 to 2026 (25 zone-level)47 kt (54 mph) to 62 kt (71 mph) (median 54 kt (62 mph)); 23 with a recorded value62 kt (71 mph) measured, High Wind, 2002-03-09; NWS zone INZ047High Wind, 2024-09-27, $1,200,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2024 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)517 records, 1955 to 202639 kt (45 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 396 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1978-06-25Thunderstorm Wind, 2023-06-29, $2,500,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Indianapolis city (69 records), Speedway town (26 records), Beech Grove city (12 records), Lawrence city (11 records), Southport city (9 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)47 records, 1952 to 2019F/EF0 to F/EF4 (median F/EF1); 46 with a recorded valueF4 tornado, 1972-05-14, 8.4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 200 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars), 17 direct injuriesTornado, 2002-09-20, $40,000,000 property; crops not reported (2002 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Indianapolis city (3 records), Beech Grove city (2 records), Lawrence city (1 record), Southport city (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)53 records, 1996 to 2026 (53 zone-level)Winter Weather, 2024-12-02, $700,000 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars); NWS zone INZ047Countywide (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: 20 declarations covering 16 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-08-252026-08-11DR-4933-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind, Tornadonot yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)new since last plan; within last 5 years
2026-08-152026-08-11EM-3651-INEmergencySevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind, Tornadonot yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)new since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4933
2026-01-242026-01-23EM-3641-INEmergencySevere Winter StormWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2020-04-032020-01-20DR-4515-INMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$25,405,931.08
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3456-INEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4515
2014-04-222014-01-05DR-4173-INMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and SnowstormWinter Weather$1,960,982.26
2008-06-082008-05-30DR-1766-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornado$2,112,752.05
2007-03-122007-02-12EM-3274-INEmergencySnowWinter Weather$1,089,059.65
2005-09-102005-08-29EM-3238-INEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not counted$99,355.55
2005-01-212005-01-01DR-1573-INMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and FloodingInland Flooding; Winter WeatherPA not declared for this county
2005-01-112004-12-21EM-3197-INEmergencySnowWinter Weather$543,880.56
2004-06-032004-05-25DR-1520-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2003-09-052003-08-26DR-1487-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2003-07-112003-07-04DR-1476-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
2002-09-252002-09-20DR-1433-INMajor disasterSevere Storms and TornadoesTornado$1,821,230.57
2002-06-132002-04-28DR-1418-INMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingInland Flooding; TornadoPA not declared for this county
1999-01-151999-01-01EM-3135-INEmergencyIn-Winter Storm 12/23/98Winter Weather$1,041,654.19
1996-04-021996-01-06DR-1109-INMajor disasterBlizzard of 96Inland 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 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
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 Wave7316001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought6000001996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail3734921001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave5103001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding1262371011996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning22001001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind542371884111955 to 2026-06-30Includes 24 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado47000811950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather535210611996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-01-24Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported2, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2024-12-02Winter Weather$700,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2024-02-16Heavy Snowdamage not reported1, 13NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2023-08-20Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2023 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2011-08-13Thunderstorm Wind61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust$975,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars)7, 43SHOOTERS HILLdeaths or injuries recorded
2011-05-22Hail3 indamage not reported0, 0CAMBYB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2006-07-18Lightning$0 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars)1, 1LAWRENCEB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2003-07-06Flood$10,600,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2003 dollars)0, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2002-03-09High Wind62 kt (71 mph) measureddamage not reported0, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1996-02-02Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone INZ047 (MARION), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1978-06-25Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1972-05-14TornadoF4, 8.4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 200 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1972 dollars)0, 17location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (1,183 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 Wave3.11event-days per yearabout 3.11 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)592005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought2.1event-days per yearabout 2.1 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)702000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00207annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.207%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail4.24events per yearabout 4.24 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)161.1 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.37event-days per yearabout 4.37 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)612005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricane0.0077events per yearabout 1 in 130 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 Storm0.776event-days per yearabout 0.776 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)531946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding2.93event-days per yearabout 2.93 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 28 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (93.3%)821996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.123events per year (modeled)about 1 in 8 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning48.2days per year with a strikeabout 48.2 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind4.6events per yearabout 4.6 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1751986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.306events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0000251annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00251%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 Weather10.1event-days per yearabout 10.1 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 26 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (86.7%)1912005-11-12 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 2025172305.73
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202510300.333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 20253023010.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202519300.633
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202524300.8
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202511300.367
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20254300.133
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 Wave253 of 25315.868.589.3Relatively High 42, Relatively Moderate 199, Relatively Low 11, Very Low 1
Drought49 of 25366.874.289.1Relatively Low 13, Very Low 36, No Rating 204
Earthquake253 of 25328.963.992.5Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 30, Relatively Low 205, Very Low 16
Hail253 of 25328.252.283.3Relatively Moderate 17, Relatively Low 221, Very Low 15
Heat Wave253 of 2531.771.691.9Relatively High 26, Relatively Moderate 186, Relatively Low 40, Very Low 1
Hurricane253 of 25312.717.130.6Very Low 253
Ice Storm253 of 2535.826.876.0Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 76, Very Low 175
Inland Flooding253 of 2532.544.699.3Very High 4, Relatively High 28, Relatively Moderate 84, Relatively Low 108, Very Low 29
Landslide247 of 2538.849.588.7Relatively Low 9, Very Low 238, No Rating 6
Lightning253 of 2532.643.175.8Relatively Moderate 84, Relatively Low 165, Very Low 4
Strong Wind253 of 25314.862.686.6Relatively High 6, Relatively Moderate 172, Relatively Low 74, Very Low 1
Tornado253 of 25335.766.196.1Very High 2, Relatively High 49, Relatively Moderate 178, Relatively Low 24
Wildfire201 of 25318.527.461.3Very Low 201, No Rating 52
Winter Weather253 of 25322.846.670.2Relatively Moderate 102, Relatively Low 151

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
Marion CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-04-13$844,598.240 total; 0 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row. Includes $842,587.49 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4515-IN).
Beech Grove cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$117,500.6035 total; 3 since its plan
Indianapolis cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13FMA RL 12, SRL 38; any 211$11,343,782.83182 total; 3 since its planIncludes $6,359,610.33 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4515-IN).
Lawrence cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$512,271.7827 total; 0 since its plan
Southport cityCityApproved, expires 2030-04-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$20,697.0730 total; 1 since its plan
Speedway townTownApproved, expires 2030-04-13FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$15,324.1443 total; 2 since its plan

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

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

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 2025-04-14county-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$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$811$12,892$27,264,592under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$13,992,682n/an/a$49,988n/a0.357% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$351,711,771,009n/a977,203$16,546,567n/a$5,466,4640.0047%
Hail$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$2,307,740$772$52,7220.00118%
Heat Wave$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$451under $1$19,736,653under 0.0001%
Hurricane$195,458,629,333$15,400,330971,703$18,981$229$36under 0.0001%
Ice Storm$196,130,839,965n/a976,697$465,262n/a$145,1960.000237%
Inland Flooding$195,928,027,883$2,477,26134,880$162,892,660$407$602,074n/a (see note)$150,000no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations)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$1,161,260,181n/a4,753$2,248n/a$1,8320.000194%
Lightning$196,169,384,213n/a977,041$119,232n/a$2,299,643under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$477,123$68$6,360,7140.000243%$511,000$20,000no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations)Storm Events damage since the plan includes 1 zone-level High Wind record ($20,000): a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$22,381,935$194$17,013,7260.0114%no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations)
Wildfire$5,928,284,868$1,129,50342,114$7,527under $1$1,3380.000127%
Winter Weather$196,169,384,213$15,538,202977,041$156,663$51$413,583under 0.0001%$150,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)

Totals since 2025-04-14 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 41 county-coded records, 28 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $661,000; 11 zone-level records, 3 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $170,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 3 counted declarations.

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
Population977,041
Building value (total, not at risk)$196,169,384,213
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$15,538,202
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively High
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$205,441,800
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)$79,358,573
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively Moderate
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)12Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)38
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition208Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition34

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 total123820834211446
of which: Indianapolis city123820834211446
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
Beech Grove city1801580000000
Indianapolis city180159123820834211446
Lawrence city1801600000000
Southport city1801610000000
Speedway town1801620000000

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 residential123218828191443
2 to 4 unit residential0242400
other residential0010100
non-residential041541503
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 2 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 198 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). Marion County, IN: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 18097). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/in/18097/ 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