Natural hazards · Cincinnati

Cincinnati, IL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cincinnati comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1979.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Cincinnati?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cincinnati to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding36%Cold waves30%Tornadoes15%Heat waves6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Cincinnati faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

30% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Cincinnati flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cincinnati, from FEMA’s records.

16paid claims since 1979

$39Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $737

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Cincinnati isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Tazewell County.

Disasters that hit Cincinnati

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Tazewell County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Cincinnati itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CincinnatiDeclared for Tazewell County only

Tazewell County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Cincinnati

Cincinnati and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Spring Lakemostly inland floodingHigh

Pekinmostly inland floodingModerate

Hollismostly inland floodingModerate

Sand Prairiemostly inland floodingModerate

Cincinnatimostly inland floodingLow

Elm Grovemostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Cincinnati covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cincinnati’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Cincinnati. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Cincinnati total about $3.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.