Natural hazards · Canton

Canton, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Canton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canton to be higher than in 13% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes9%Hail8%Cold waves7%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Canton 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

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Hail

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Canton flood?

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

25paid claims since 1979

$241Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 12 claims, $82K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stark County.

Disasters that hit Canton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CantonDeclared for Stark County only

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

$5K to the Township of Canton for repairs

Stark County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Canton

Canton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cantonmostly inland floodingLow

Pikemostly inland floodingLow

Plainmostly inland floodingLow

Osnaburgmostly inland floodingVery low

North Industrymostly inland floodingVery low

Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low

Perrymostly inland floodingVery low

Meyers Lakemostly 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. Canton covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canton’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Canton. 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 Canton total about $2.4M 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.