Natural hazards · Ashtabula

Ashtabula, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ashtabula comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ashtabula?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ashtabula to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes17%Strong wind8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Ashtabula 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 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ashtabula flood?

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

6paid claims since 1978

$12Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ashtabula County.

Disasters that hit Ashtabula

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AshtabulaDeclared for Ashtabula County only

2006

Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding

356 households applied for aid $216K aid approved

Ashtabula County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Ashtabula

Ashtabula and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ashtabulamostly inland floodingVery low

Plymouthmostly inland floodingVery low

Saybrookmostly inland floodingVery low

Ashtabulamostly inland floodingVery low

Kingsvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Edgewoodmostly 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. Ashtabula covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ashtabula’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ashtabula. 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 Ashtabula total about $3.1M 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.