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Oxford, Indiana streetPhoto: Huw Williams (Huwmanbeing) · Public domain
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Oxford · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Oxford faces less hazard damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oxford gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then tornadoes (18%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 66%Tornadoes 18%Earthquakes 7%

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 80%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A−
in Indiana · lower than 80% 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
4
of 18 declared for Benton County
By hazard

What Oxford 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 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Earthquakes

7%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hurricanes Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Wildfire 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 26% of Oxford’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 Oxford’s grade

River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in Oxford, and Oxford’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 18% (higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Oxford sits
Oxford
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding66%Tornadoes18%Earthquakes7%Everything else9%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $414K a year in losses across Oxford: $220K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Oxford’s 1,165 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Oak Grove township (1,551 residents) and Bolivar township (1,179 residents) and Pine township (324 residents) and Gilboa township (282 residents) and Templeton CDP (75 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 Oxford flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Oxford

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

  1. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding4 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  2. 2007Snow$2K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
  3. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding16 households applied for aid$37K aid approved
  4. 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$2K to the Town of Oxford for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in OxfordBenton County only

Benton County has had 18 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 Oxford after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Oxford archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Oxford 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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
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 ↗
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 Oxford

Is Oxford at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Oxford has lower expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and tornadoes (18%). 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 Oxford 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.

How much is flood insurance in Oxford?

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

By FEMA money that reached Oxford, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2004): 16 households applied for aid, $37K approved.

Is Oxford at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and Oxford’s rate for it is lower than 73% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Oxford.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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