Natural hazards · Boston

Boston, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 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 Boston?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding66%Hail13%Tornadoes7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Boston faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 88 years in the area

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 Boston flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$237Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Boston 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.

Disasters that hit Boston

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BostonDeclared for Summit County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$7K to the Township of Boston for repairs

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

Around Boston

Boston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cuyahoga Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Sagamore Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low

Bostonmostly inland floodingVery low

Boston Heightsmostly inland floodingVery low

Peninsulamostly inland floodingVery low

Hudsonmostly inland floodingVery low

Northfield Centermostly inland floodingVery low

Brecksvillemostly inland floodingVery low

Richfieldmostly 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. Boston covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boston’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Boston. 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 Boston total about $829K 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.