Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Lindsay as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lindsay gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (56%), then tornadoes (14%). Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1981.
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 stands out about Lindsay’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Lindsay 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
Hail
Wildfire
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 Lindsay’s grade
River and rain flooding is 56% of the building damage FEMA expects in Lindsay, and Lindsay’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 10%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
B− lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Lindsay’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $972K a year in losses across Lindsay: $512K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Lindsay flood? Sometimes: 26 flood claims since 1981
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Lindsay, from FEMA’s records: 55.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Thunderstorms4 claims · $351K
Lindsay isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cooke County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Lindsay
Disasters that paid out in Lindsay itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Lindsay), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding22 households applied for aid$128K aid approved$22K to the City of Lindsay for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
Cooke County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Lindsay after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Lindsay archive →Lindsay and its neighbors
Lindsay has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsay | B−less damage than 54% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Gainesville | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 274 |
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 Lindsay 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.
- 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 Lindsay
Is Lindsay at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Lindsay has lower expected damage per building than 54% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (56%) and tornadoes (14%). 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 Lindsay flood?
Flood insurance has paid 26 claims in Lindsay since 1981, $689K in all, or 55.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 93% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Thunderstorms (4).
Is Lindsay 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 Cooke County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Lindsay?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Lindsay’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 Lindsay?
By FEMA money that reached Lindsay, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2007): 22 households applied for aid, $128K approved, and $22K to the City of Lindsay for repairs. By flood claims, Thunderstorms: 4 paid, $351K.
Is Lindsay at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (56%), and Lindsay’s rate for it is lower than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Lindsay.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Lindsay’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.