Nicholson-Rand House · Photo: add925 · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Decatur Township than in 61% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Decatur Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, #294 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then tornadoes (12%). Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 2003.
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 Decatur 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
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 Decatur Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in Decatur Township, and Decatur Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 12% (higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts).
B #294 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Decatur Township’s residents live in 9 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, Decatur Township has less expected damage per building than 51% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $8.5M a year in losses across Decatur Township: $5.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Decatur Township flood? Sometimes: 13 flood claims since 2003
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Decatur Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Central U.S. April Flooding1 claim · $2K
Decatur 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: Marion County.The storms Decatur Township remembers
None of the 16 disasters declared for Marion County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Decatur Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20159 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20253 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Marion County
Marion County has had 16 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 Decatur Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Decatur Township archive →Decatur Township and its neighbors
Decatur Township has the lowest expected damage per building of the 6 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Township | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 13 |
| Madison Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Indianapolis | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 1,638 |
| Perry Township | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 101 |
| Guilford Township | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Wayne Township | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 137 |
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 Decatur 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.
- 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 Decatur Township
Is Decatur Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Decatur Township has lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #294 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.
Does Decatur Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 13 claims in Decatur Township since 2003, $155K in all, or 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 79% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Central U.S. April Flooding (1).
Is Decatur 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 Marion County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Decatur Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Decatur 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 Decatur Township?
By flood claims, Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Decatur Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and Decatur Township’s rate for it is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Decatur Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Decatur 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.