Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Root Township as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Root Township gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns, #372 of 593 in Indiana. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (76%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1989.
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 Root 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
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 Root Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 76% of the building damage FEMA expects in Root Township, and Root Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #372 of 593 in Indiana; lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Root Township’s residents live in 3 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, Root Township has more expected damage per building than 63% of Indiana towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.1M a year in losses across Root Township: $1.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Root Township flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 1989
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Root Township, from FEMA’s records: 1.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 64% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Root 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: Adams County.The storms Root Township remembers
None of the 14 disasters declared for Adams County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Root Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19891 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20031 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Adams County
- 20041 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, declared for Adams County
Adams County has had 14 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 Root Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Root Township archive →Root Township and its neighbors
Root Township is 3rd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Preble Township | Bless damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Root Township | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Washington Township | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 85 |
| Union Township | — | 547 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Root 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.
- 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 Root Township
Is Root Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Root Township has lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #372 of 593 in Indiana. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (76%) and tornadoes (15%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Root Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Root Township since 1989, $29K in all, or 1.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 64% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Root 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 Adams County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Root Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Root Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Root Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (76%), and Root Township’s rate for it is higher than 59% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Root Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Root 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.