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Pulaski County Courthouse Winimac Indiana P1300092Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Winamac · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Winamac faces less hazard damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winamac gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1981.

River and rain flooding 69%Tornadoes 15%Earthquakes 6%

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 84%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 84% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
69% of expected building damage
Flood claims
25
paid since 1981 · $134K
Flooded more than once
5
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
9
of 14 declared for Pulaski County

What stands out about Winamac’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Lower expected damage than 84% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Remembers 19907 flood claims were paid for 1990 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Winamac 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

69%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Tornadoes

15%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 60% 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 Ice storms Lightning Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves top 5% 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 24% of Winamac’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 Winamac’s grade

River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Winamac, and Winamac’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 15% (higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Winamac sits
Winamac
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding69%Tornadoes15%Earthquakes6%Everything else9%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $923K a year in losses across Winamac: $556K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Winamac’s 2,318 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 Winamac flood? Sometimes: 25 flood claims since 1981

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Winamac, from FEMA’s records: 20.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1981: 1 claim1982: 3 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 5 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 7 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 3 claims2009: 4 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 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 claims198519902009
19812026
25
paid claims since 1981
$134K
paid to owners
5
homes flooded more than once
$5K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Pulaski County.
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Winamac

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

  1. 2026Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$124K aid approved
  2. 2018Severe Storms and Flooding5 households applied for aid$13K aid approved$5K to the Town of Winamac for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding86 households applied for aid$290K aid approved4 flood claims paid that year
  4. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding128 households applied for aid$357K aid approved$7K to the Town of Winamac for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
  5. 2007Snow$6K to the Town of Winamac for repairs
  6. 2005Severe Winter Storms and Flooding5 households applied for aid$22K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
Show all 9
  1. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
  2. 2000Snow$3K to the Town of Winamac for repairs
  3. 1999In-winter Storm 12/23/98$7K to the Town of Winamac for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WinamacPulaski County only

Pulaski 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Winamac archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Winamac 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 Winamac

Is Winamac at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winamac has lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and tornadoes (15%). 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 Winamac flood?

Flood insurance has paid 25 claims in Winamac since 1981, $134K in all, or 20.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 84% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 5 properties have flooded more than once.

Is Winamac 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 Pulaski County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Winamac?

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

By FEMA money that reached Winamac, Severe Storms and Flooding (2008): 128 households applied for aid, $357K approved, and $7K to the Town of Winamac for repairs.

Is Winamac at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Winamac’s rate for it is lower than 74% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Winamac.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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