Indiana Near Bottom in 2026 Disaster Preparedness Ranking

Well, fellow Hoosiers, let’s hope a natural disaster doesn’t happen anytime soon (not that I would ever hope for that), because Indiana has once again been named one of the worst states for disaster preparedness. In fact, we even dropped a few places in the rankings from last year.

A recent report from SmileHub looked at disaster readiness across the country, ranking states based on three key areas: how strong their infrastructure and emergency support systems are, how much planning and funding go into disaster prevention, and overall disaster risk and potential for lasting damage.

Indiana's Disaster Preparedness Ranking Explained

Indiana landed at 47th overall (down from 44^th in 2025), putting the Hoosier state among the bottom five states for disaster preparedness. The biggest concern came in the category of disaster prevention planning and funding, where Indiana ranked 50^th – last in the nation.

How Indiana Performed in Key Categories

That said, it’s not all bad news. Indiana performed better in other areas, ranking 28th for resilience infrastructure and support capacity, and 22nd for disaster risk and lasting damage. Those middle-of-the-pack scores show there is a foundation in place – it just needs more attention and investment to bring everything up to speed.

What the Rankings Mean for Hoosiers

What does this ranking mean? Well, it’s a good reminder that preparedness isn’t just something that “someone else” handles. It tells me that I should do a bit of preparing on my own. Things like an emergency kit, a family communication plan, and a weather radio can make a real difference when things don’t go as planned.

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And if you’re curious how Indiana compares to other states or want to dig deeper into the numbers, the full report offers a pretty eye-opening look at where things stand nationwide.

SmileHub is a nonprofit tech company that uses data to rate charities and provides resources that make it easy for donors to find more information and maximize the impact of their donations.