States › Indiana › Benton County
Benton County, Indiana
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Benton County, Indiana, has 309 weather events in the NCEI Storm Events record since 1950, most of them damaging wind.
That is 76.0 events per 100 square miles, below the Indiana figure of 120.7, and 354.6 per 10,000 residents against 63.5 statewide.
25 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 5 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $252M and crop damage at $2.0M.
FEMA has designated the county in 21 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storm (emergency, 24 Jan 2026).
OpenFEMA lists no National Flood Insurance Program claims in the county.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Very Low" and its expected annual loss as "Very Low" ($3.3M a year across 18 hazards).
3 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with Indiana and the United States
| Measure | Benton County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 309 | 43,229 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 76.0 | 120.7 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 354.6 | 63.5 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 25 | 1,597 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 550 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $252M | $4.5B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 2.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | — | $20K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | — | 17.3 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 177 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 80 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 2008 | Dense Fog | Fog | — | $50K | — | 1 | 2 | Forecast zone |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | Tornado | F4 | $250M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 1956 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Hail | Hail | 4.25 in | $500K | $2.0M | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jan 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 100 mph | $100K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 2026 | EM-3641 | Emergency | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 15 Apr 2023 | DR-4704 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2020 | DR-4515 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3456 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 4 May 2018 | DR-4363 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 23 Jun 2011 | DR-1997 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And | Public assistance |
| 8 Jun 2008 | DR-1766 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 30 Jan 2008 | DR-1740 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Mar 2007 | EM-3274 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 10 Sep 2005 | EM-3238 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 21 Jan 2005 | DR-1573 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 3 Jun 2004 | DR-1520 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Jul 2003 | DR-1476 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Individual assistance |
| 24 Jan 2001 | EM-3162 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 15 Jan 1999 | EM-3135 | Emergency | Snowstorm | In-Winter Storm 12/23/98 | Public assistance |
| 22 Jul 1998 | DR-1234 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes, And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 8 May 1998 | DR-1217 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm | Public assistance |
| 29 Mar 1991 | DR-899 | Major disaster | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm | Public assistance |
| 5 Jan 1991 | DR-891 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Feb 1977 | EM-3028 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snowstorms | Public assistance |
| 4 Apr 1974 | DR-423 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
OpenFEMA lists no NFIP claims with this county's code.
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $1,256,577 | |
| Cold wave | $790,688 | |
| Tornado | $540,805 | |
| Strong wind | $213,961 | |
| Hail | $196,686 | |
| Earthquake | $182,476 | |
| Heat wave | $81,481 | |
| Winter weather | $21,097 | |
| Lightning | $20,806 | |
| Hurricane | $9,032 | |
| Ice storm | $5,869 | |
| Wildfire | $531 | |
| Landslide | $70 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ike | 2008 | 22 mi | 58 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1932 | 17 mi | 40 mph |
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1923 | 96 mi | 40 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Benton County, IN?
NCEI records 60 hail events in Benton County since 1950, in 26 different years; that is about 0.8 recorded events a year. 15 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Benton County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 23 tornadoes in Benton County since 1950, 6 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Benton County?
24 Jan 2026: Severe Winter Storm, a emergency declaration for winter storm. The county appears in 21 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Benton County, and how much was paid?
OpenFEMA lists no NFIP claims in the county.
Is Benton County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Very Low" for overall risk, "Very Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Benton County compare with the rest of Indiana?
76.0 recorded events per 100 square miles against 120.7 statewide, and 0.0 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 2.9. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.