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 low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Canton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Canton to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes8%Hail7%Cold waves6%Everything else10%

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

69% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% 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.

32paid claims since 1979

$308Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 2 claims, $25K

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. 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

50flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Canton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CantonDeclared for Stark County only

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding

52 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

15 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

295 households applied for aid $189K aid approved

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

926 households applied for aid $1.8M aid approved $13K to the City 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

North Cantonmostly inland floodingLow

Plainmostly inland floodingLow

Osnaburgmostly inland floodingVery low

Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low

Nimishillenmostly inland floodingVery low

East Cantonmostly inland floodingVery low

Jacksonmostly inland floodingVery low

Perrymostly inland floodingVery low

Meyers Lakemostly inland floodingVery low

Reedurbanmostly 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 20 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Canton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City 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 $15.3M 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.