Jefferson County, IN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Jefferson County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1968, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Jefferson County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, strong wind, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 23 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Jefferson County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1968, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (12), flood (7), 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 |
| 2018 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2012 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 total declarations since 1968.
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 | 9.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.9 | 6 | 1 | $200K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 32.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | 4 | 0 | $75K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 20.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 20.9 | 13 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 83.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 27.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 60.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 33.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 45.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 85.3 | 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
Jefferson County ranks in the 58th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 58th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 46th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 53rd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 21st | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 88th | High |
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 | 15th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 14th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 63.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 23 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 8 in 2016–20 vs 15 in 2021–25 .
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 Jefferson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Jefferson County, Indiana are landslide, strong wind, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Jefferson County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Jefferson County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1968, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (12 declarations).
Has Jefferson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Jefferson 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 1968.
How does Jefferson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Ripley County, IN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Switzerland County, IN has the lowest (Very Low). Jefferson County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Jefferson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Jefferson 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. Jefferson County's composite score of 48 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 48% of US counties.