Fayette County, IN Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by tornado. 310 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $9.8M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 310
- Most often thunderstorm wind
- Flood insurance policies
- 51
- 0.5% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 33.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 51.8 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 57.7 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $5.16B · Agriculture value exposed: $58.95M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $11.22M
Risk by hazard
- TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.16M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 years
- LandslideRelatively Low$3,578/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$663K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.1 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$242K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 592 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$48.86K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- HailRelatively Low$156K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$491K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Low$32.69K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$104K/yr expected annual loss, about 47 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$99.64K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.4 events a year
- Winter weatherVery Low$18.8K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- HurricaneVery Low$3,046/yr expected annual loss, about once every 174 years
- WildfireVery Low$1,318/yr expected annual loss, about once every 15,969 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 51 of 10,264 (0.5%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 295
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 49 (17%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 40
- Claims paid since 1978
- $498K
Flood claims paid per year
- 2026-08-Indiana-Flooding$366K · 24 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 310 events, 0 deaths, $4.45M in damage
- Thunderstorm Wind90
- Winter Weather59
- Flood42
- Hail29
- Winter Storm28
- Flash Flood25
- High Wind11
- Heavy Snow6
- Ice Storm5
- Heat3
Events per year
10 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, F0 1, F1 1, F2 3, F3 1, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- High Wind52 kt wind09/14/2008
Fayette
$2.9M damage
What happened
Strong winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour were sustained for several hours. Gusts over 60 mph were common. Widespread damage occurred across the region, from trees being blown down on powerlines to significant structural damage.
- Lightning08/02/2024
Connersville, Fayette County
1 injured
What happened
A person carrying an aluminum umbrella pole was struck by lightning at a park pool.
- Frost/Freeze04/06/2007
Fayette
$620K damage
What happened
Unseasonably warm temperatures for an extended period of time in March allowed much of the Ohio Valley to begin its agricultural growing season early. In early April, a cold snap with low temperatures dropping from the upper teens to middle 20s threatened agricultural interests across the region.|The full effect of these weather extremes is still yet to be known, and will not be known until the fall harvest can be compared with yields from previous years. The initial estimate of 5.58 million in crop damage was split evenly between 9 Indiana counties.
- Flash Flood02/08/2019
Connersville, Fayette County
$100K damage
- Winter Storm01/06/1996
Fayette
$100K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/28/2026
Everton, Fayette County
$4,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind05/20/2026
Alpine, Fayette County
$3,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/28/2026
Harrisburg, Fayette County
$3,000 damage
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind03/11/2026
Fairview, Fayette County
$10K damage
- Winter Storm01/25/2026
Fayette
- Winter Weather12/13/2025
Fayette
- Winter Weather12/02/2025
Fayette
- Flood07/01/2025
Alpine, Fayette County
Drinking water
5 community water systems serve about 15,652 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Connersville UtilitiesServes 13,282 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Everton Water CorporationServes 1,800 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Pleasantview Utilities, INC.Serves 500 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
- St Jude Village Water CorporationServes 38 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Green Acres Mobile Home ParkServes 32 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Cambridge City 3 N, 15 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 82°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 17°F in Jan..
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 17°F | - |
| Feb | 38°F | 20°F | - |
| Mar | 49°F | 27°F | - |
| Apr | 61°F | 37°F | - |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | - |
| Jun | 79°F | 58°F | - |
| Jul | 82°F | 61°F | - |
| Aug | 81°F | 59°F | - |
| Sep | 76°F | 50°F | - |
| Oct | 64°F | 39°F | - |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | - |
| Dec | 39°F | 22°F | - |
| Year | 50°F average | - | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 2 toxic release facilities in Fayette County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Reclaimed Energy Div Superior Industrial Solutions in78,718 lbs released, Connersville
- Hydro Extrusion USA LLC.0 lbs released, Connersville
Total: 78,718 lbs in 2024, 1,931 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Fayette County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Fayette County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $9.8M a year. The highest-rated hazards are tornado (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low), strong wind (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Fayette County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 310 storm events affecting Fayette County, most often thunderstorm wind (90), winter weather (59), flood (42).
- How many tornadoes have hit Fayette County?
- 10 tornadoes have been recorded in Fayette County since 1950, including 2 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Fayette County have flood insurance?
- 51 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Fayette County, covering about 0.5% of homes. The program has paid $498K on 40 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Fayette County?
- At Cambridge City 3 N, average highs reach 82°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.