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LaGrange County CourthousePhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
AHazard risk
Natural hazards in Lagrange · FEMA

Less hazard damage per building is expected in Lagrange than in 94% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lagrange gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns, #34 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then tornadoes (21%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2006.

River and rain flooding 59%Tornadoes 21%Hail 9%

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 94%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#34 of 593 in Indiana
Hazard risk
A#34 of 593
in Indiana · lower than 94% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
59% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 2006 · $24K
Disasters paid out here
3
of 9 declared for LaGrange County
By hazard

What Lagrange 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

59%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 91% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Hurricanes Ice storms Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 12% of Lagrange’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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 Lagrange’s grade

River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lagrange, and Lagrange’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 91% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 21% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Lagrange sits
Lagrange
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A #34 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding59%Tornadoes21%Hail9%Everything else11%

The typical Indiana town has lower expected damage than 60% of U.S. towns; within the state, Lagrange has less expected damage per building than 94% of Indiana towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $633K a year in losses across Lagrange: $430K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Lagrange’s 2,715 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Lagrange flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2006

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lagrange, from FEMA’s records: 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 1 claim2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims200620082011
20062026
3
paid claims since 2006
$24K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$8K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: LaGrange County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Lagrange

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

  1. 2014Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$4K to the Town of Lagrange for repairs
  2. 2007Snow$4K to the Town of Lagrange for repairs
  3. 2000Snow$2K to the Town of Lagrange for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in LagrangeLaGrange County only

LaGrange County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Lagrange archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Lagrange 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 Lagrange

Is Lagrange at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lagrange has lower expected damage per building than 94% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #34 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and tornadoes (21%). 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 Lagrange flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Lagrange since 2006, $24K in all, or 2.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 58% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Lagrange 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 LaGrange County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Lagrange?

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

By FEMA money that reached Lagrange, Snow (2007): $4K to the Town of Lagrange for repairs.

Is Lagrange at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Lagrange’s rate for it is lower than 91% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lagrange.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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