Natural hazards · Brecksville

Brecksville, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brecksville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 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 Brecksville?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brecksville to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding62%Cold waves16%Tornadoes15%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Brecksville faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Brecksville flood?

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

21paid claims since 1978

$803Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cuyahoga County.

Disasters that hit Brecksville

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrecksvilleDeclared for Cuyahoga County only

2012

Severe Storms and Flooding Due to the Remnants of Hurricane Sandy

$6K to the City of Brecksville for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding

290 households applied for aid $423K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $14K aid approved $225K to the City of Brecksville for repairs

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

14 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

Cuyahoga County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Brecksville

Brecksville and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Independencemostly inland floodingVery low

Sagamore Hillsmostly inland floodingVery low

Bostonmostly inland floodingVery low

Broadview Heightsmostly 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. Brecksville covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brecksville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brecksville. 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 Brecksville total about $3.3M 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.