How risky is Franklin County for natural disasters?

FEMA rates Franklin County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $12.62M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively low), strong wind (relatively moderate).

What storms are most common in Franklin County?

Since 1996, NOAA recorded 345 storm events affecting Franklin County, most often thunderstorm wind (96), flood (48), winter storm (45).

How many tornadoes have hit Franklin County?

14 tornadoes have been recorded in Franklin County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

How many homes in Franklin County have flood insurance?

29 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Franklin County, covering about 0.3% of homes. The program has paid $839K on 53 claims here since 1978.

What is the weather like in Franklin County?

At Brookville, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 21°F in Jan, with 43.8 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Risk: Very Low

Franklin County, IN Environment & Hazard Risk

Very Low natural hazard risk, led by landslide. 345 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss: $12.62M; Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996: 345; Most often thunderstorm wind
Flood insurance policies: 29; 0.3% of homes
Hurricanes nearby: 0; Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very Low

Score 34.2 of 100

Social vulnerability

Relatively Low

Score 21.2 of 100

Community resilience

Relatively Moderate

Score 43.1 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $5.28B · Agriculture value exposed: $86.35M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $11.45M

Risk by hazard

LandslideRelatively Moderate$46.82K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
TornadoRelatively Low$2.06M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
Strong windRelatively Moderate$775K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.6 events a year
Ice stormRelatively Low$74.89K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
Cold waveRelatively Low$809K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.1 events a year
EarthquakeVery Low$177K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 529 years
DroughtRelatively Low$73.11K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.9 events a year
HailVery Low$139K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.1 events a year
LightningRelatively Low$120K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year
Heat waveVery Low$102K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.9 events a year
Winter weatherVery Low$21.79K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
WildfireVery Low$5,791/yr expected annual loss, about once every 21,854 years
HurricaneVery Low$2,417/yr expected annual loss, about once every 173 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: 29 of 11,149 (0.3%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones: 315
Insured in high-risk zones: 23 (7%)
Flood claims since 1978: 53
Claims paid since 1978: $839K

Flood claims paid per year

2026-08-Indiana-Flooding$93.36K · 7 claims
Flooding$19.44K · 1 claim

Storm history

Since 1996: 345 events, 10 deaths, $7.22M in damage

Thunderstorm Wind96
Flood48 · 2 deaths
Winter Storm45
Winter Weather42
Flash Flood38 · 8 deaths
Hail27
Heavy Snow11
High Wind10
Tornado8
Ice Storm6

Events per year

14 tornadoes on record (EF0 4, EF1 2, EF2 1, F0 1, F1 3, F2 2, F4 1).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

Flash Flood03/20/2020
Laurel, Franklin County
6 deaths, $100K damage
What happened
A bridge collapsed on Sanes Creek Road near Tee Hill Road due to flash flooding on Sanes Creek. Two vehicles were swept into the water, leading to six fatalities. M48VE, M47VE, F35VE, M13VE, F7VE, F4VE.
Flash Flood07/28/2023
Oak Forest, Franklin County
2 deaths, $200K damage
What happened
Wolf Creek rose six feet out of its banks and caused widespread flash flooding along Wolf Creek Road. Two people were killed when a small cabin they were staying in was washed away.
Flood01/01/2019
Peppertown, Franklin County
1 death, $2,000 damage
What happened
A 63 year old woman attempted to cross a stream in a car on a slab of concrete. The water was extremely high and fast after heavy rainfall in the area. The car was swept off the slab and the women's body was discovered about 1 1/2 miles down stream the next day. F63VE.
Flood12/17/2001
Franklin
1 death
What happened
A woman attempted to cross a flooded slab bridge on the Yellow Bank Creek. The automobile stalled and the woman was killed when she exited the vehicle and was swept downstream. Two children in the car were rescued by emergency personnel.
High Wind52 kt wind09/14/2008
Franklin
$2.7M 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.
Lightning08/24/2002
Oldenburg, Franklin County
1 injured
What happened
A man was struck by lightning at the Cricket Ridge Golf Club on State Route 229.

Latest storm reports

Newest first

Flash Flood06/18/2026
Hamburg, Franklin County
TornadoEF2, 5.92 mi path, 400 yd wide06/18/2026
South Gate, Franklin County
$250K damage
Flood05/27/2026
Blooming Grove, Franklin County
Flood05/27/2026
Brookville, Franklin County
Flood05/27/2026
Andersonville, Franklin County
Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/28/2026
Mt Carmel, Franklin County
$5,000 damage
Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind04/28/2026
Drewersburg, Franklin County
$3,000 damage
Strong Wind39 kt wind03/15/2026
Franklin

Drinking water

4 community water systems serve about 12,680 people. Violations since 2021.

2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.

Franklin County Water AssociationServes 8,200 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
Brookville Water WorksServes 2,800 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
Oldenburg Water WorksServes 880 · Purchased surface water · Local government3 health violations+20 monitoring or reporting
Laurel Water DepartmentServes 800 · Groundwater · Local government5 health violations+48 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 Brookville, 2.8 mi from the county center

Summer highs peak around 87°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 21°F in Jan. About 43.8 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 17.6 inches of snow.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow
Jan	38°F	21°F	3.36 in	6.1 in
Feb	42°F	23°F	2.67 in	5.0 in
Mar	53°F	31°F	3.58 in	2.1 in
Apr	66°F	41°F	4.60 in	-
May	76°F	51°F	4.79 in	-
Jun	84°F	60°F	4.89 in	-
Jul	87°F	64°F	3.89 in	-
Aug	86°F	62°F	3.00 in	-
Sep	81°F	55°F	2.96 in	-
Oct	68°F	42°F	3.30 in	0.1 in
Nov	54°F	33°F	3.40 in	0.3 in
Dec	43°F	26°F	3.37 in	4.0 in
Year	54°F average		43.8 in	17.6 in

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Franklin County

Superfund sites

None in this county.

Toxic release facilities

Owens Corning Roofing & Asphalt LLC142 lbs released, Brookville
Dave O'Mara Contractor Inc0 lbs released, Laurel
Uni-Ref Inc.0 lbs released, Brookville

Total: 142 lbs in 2024, 85.1 lbs to air.

Superfund sites Toxic release facilities EPA inspections and enforcement Air toxics cancer risk 9 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Franklin County for natural disasters?: FEMA rates Franklin County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $12.62M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively low), strong wind (relatively moderate).
What storms are most common in Franklin County?: Since 1996, NOAA recorded 345 storm events affecting Franklin County, most often thunderstorm wind (96), flood (48), winter storm (45).
How many tornadoes have hit Franklin County?: 14 tornadoes have been recorded in Franklin County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
How many homes in Franklin County have flood insurance?: 29 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Franklin County, covering about 0.3% of homes. The program has paid $839K on 53 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Franklin County?: At Brookville, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 21°F in Jan, with 43.8 inches of rain a year (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.

More about Franklin County

Data sources

National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency
OpenFEMA NFIP Policies and ClaimsFederal Emergency Management Agency
Storm Events DatabaseNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
HURDAT2NOAA National Hurricane Center
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Toxics Release InventoryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Data as of 08/01/2026

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About this data

Environmental hazards and flood zones: Flood zones, hazard scores and pollution data come from federal and state agencies and are for general information only. They are not an official flood zone determination, environmental assessment or insurance rating. For a property decision, request an official determination from your community floodplain administrator, insurer or a licensed professional. Maps may not show recent changes.

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