Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Cumberland than in 63% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cumberland gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns, #275 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then tornadoes (12%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Cumberland 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
Earthquakes
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 Cumberland’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in Cumberland, and Cumberland’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 12% (higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts).
B #275 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Cumberland’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Indiana town has lower expected damage than 60% of U.S. towns; within the state, Cumberland has less expected damage per building than 54% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.6M a year in losses across Cumberland: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Cumberland flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Cumberland. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Cumberland isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Hancock County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Cumberland
Disasters that paid out in Cumberland itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Cumberland), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$4K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs
Hancock County has had 15 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 Cumberland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cumberland archive →Cumberland and its neighbors
Cumberland has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland | Bless damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Buck Creek Township | Bless damage than 62% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Sugar Creek Township | Bless damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
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 Cumberland 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Cumberland
Is Cumberland at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Cumberland has lower expected damage per building than 63% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #275 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and tornadoes (12%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Cumberland 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 Hancock County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Cumberland?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cumberland’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 Cumberland?
By FEMA money that reached Cumberland, In-winter Storm 12/23/98 (1999): $4K to the Town of Cumberland for repairs.
Is Cumberland at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and Cumberland’s rate for it is higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cumberland.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cumberland’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.