Bartholomew County, IN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Bartholomew County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1974, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Bartholomew County's highest-rated hazards are tornado, earthquake, and inland flooding, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 23 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (29th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Bartholomew County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1974, covering 7 disaster types including flood (4), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2025 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 2005 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 total declarations since 1974.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78 | 13 | 2 | $751K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.3 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 60.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | 1 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 21.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 64.4 | 9 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 58.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 45.1 | 1 | 0 | $150K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Bartholomew County ranks in the 29th percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 29th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 17th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 55th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 54th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 35th | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 11th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 10th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 40.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 23 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 12 in 2016–20 vs 11 in 2021–25 (-8% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Bartholomew County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Bartholomew County, Indiana are tornado, earthquake, and inland flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Bartholomew County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Bartholomew County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1974, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).
Has Bartholomew County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Bartholomew County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1974.
How does Bartholomew County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Johnson County, IN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Brown County, IN has the lowest (Very Low). Bartholomew County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Bartholomew County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Bartholomew County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Bartholomew County's composite score of 71 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 71% of US counties.