Clinton D. Gilson Barn · Photo: Chris Light at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Less hazard damage per building is expected in Boone Township than in 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Boone Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, #131 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%), then tornadoes (19%). Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1983.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Boone Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Boone Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Boone Township, and Boone Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 19% (higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #131 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Boone Township’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Indiana town has lower expected damage than 60% of U.S. towns; within the state, Boone Township has less expected damage per building than 78% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.9M a year in losses across Boone Township: $906K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Boone Township flood? Sometimes: 11 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Boone Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ike4 claims · $82K
Boone Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Porter County.The storms Boone Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Porter County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Boone Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20084 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Porter County
- 20182 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Porter County
- 19831 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Porter County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Boone Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Boone Township archive →Boone Township and its neighbors
Boone Township is 3rd of the 7 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Township | Aless damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Porter Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 9 |
| Boone Township | A−less damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Winfield Township | A−less damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Keener Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Eagle Creek Township | B+less damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Pleasant Township | B+less damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | — |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Boone Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Boone Township
Is Boone Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Boone Township has lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #131 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (75%) and tornadoes (19%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Boone Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 11 claims in Boone Township since 1983, $165K in all, or 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (4).
Is Boone Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Porter County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Boone Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Boone Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Boone Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 4 paid, $82K.
Is Boone Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Boone Township’s rate for it is lower than 65% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Boone Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Boone Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.