Natural hazards · Brownhelm

Brownhelm, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brownhelm comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 46 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Brownhelm?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brownhelm to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Tornadoes12%Cold waves9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Brownhelm faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Brownhelm flood?

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

46paid claims since 1978

$145Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 10 claims, $14K

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. Brownhelm isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lorain County.

Disasters that hit Brownhelm

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Lorain County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Brownhelm itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into BrownhelmDeclared for Lorain County only

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

Around Brownhelm

Brownhelm and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Vermilionmostly inland floodingLow

Henriettamostly inland floodingLow

Amherstmostly inland floodingLow

Brownhelmmostly inland floodingLow

Amherstmostly inland floodingLow

Vermilionmostly inland floodingVery low

Lorainmostly 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. Brownhelm covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brownhelm’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Brownhelm. 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 Brownhelm total about $1.4M 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.