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Downtown Butler Historic DistrictDowntown Butler Historic District · Public domain
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Butler · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Butler than in 83% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Butler gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns, #106 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then tornadoes (17%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 66%Tornadoes 17%Hail 6%

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

less than 83%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#106 of 593 in Indiana
Hazard risk
A−#106 of 593
in Indiana · lower than 83% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
66% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 12 declared for DeKalb County
By hazard

What Butler 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

66%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

17%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Butler’s grade

River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Butler, and Butler’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 17% (higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Butler sits
Butler
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #106 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Butler’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding66%Tornadoes17%Hail6%Everything else11%

The typical Indiana town has lower expected damage than 60% of U.S. towns; within the state, Butler has less expected damage per building than 82% of Indiana towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $964K a year in losses across Butler: $765K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Butler’s 2,635 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Stafford township (276 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Butler flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Butler. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Butler isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Butler

Disasters that paid out in Butler itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Butler), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$26K aid approved
  2. 2007Snow$3K to the City of Butler for repairs
  3. 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$3K to the City of Butler for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ButlerDeKalb County only

DeKalb 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Butler after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Butler archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Butler faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Butler

Is Butler at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Butler has lower expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #106 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and tornadoes (17%). 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.

Is Butler 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 DeKalb County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Butler?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Butler’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 Butler?

By FEMA money that reached Butler, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2009): 6 households applied for aid, $26K approved.

Is Butler at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Butler’s rate for it is lower than 76% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Butler.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Butler’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.