Natural hazards · American

American, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in American comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2015. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is American?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in American to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Tornadoes8%Earthquakes5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What American faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 American flood?

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

2paid claims since 2015

$83Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20152026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Allen County.

Disasters that hit American

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AmericanDeclared for Allen County only

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$23K to the Township of American for repairs

Allen County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around American

American and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Americanmostly inland floodingModerate

Limamostly inland floodingModerate

Shawneemostly inland floodingModerate

Sugar Creekmostly inland floodingModerate

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. American covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to American’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of American. 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 American total about $2.5M 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.