Natural hazards · Akron

Akron, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Akron comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 131 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Akron?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Akron to be higher than in 19% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Hail13%Tornadoes8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Akron faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 32% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Akron flood?

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

131paid claims since 1978

$2.0Mpaid to owners

22homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

March storm: 2 claims, $4K
Tropical Storm Erin: 1 claim, $2K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Summit County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

10flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Akron

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Akron itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Akron.

Brought FEMA money into AkronDeclared for Summit County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$602K to the City of Akron for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2,126 households applied for aid $934K aid approved $258K to the City of Akron for repairs

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

1,982 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved $341K to the City of Akron for repairs

2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

Summit County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Akron

Akron and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cuyahoga Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Akronmostly inland floodingVery low

Sawyerwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Barbertonmostly inland floodingVery low

Tallmadgemostly inland floodingVery low

Copleymostly inland floodingVery low

Mogadoremostly inland floodingVery low

Bathmostly inland floodingVery low

Springfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Coventrymostly inland floodingVery low

Portage Lakesmostly inland floodingVery low

Fairlawnmostly inland floodingVery low

Montrose-Ghentmostly inland floodingVery low

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. Akron covers 61 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Akron’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Akron. 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 Akron total about $33.5M 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.