Natural hazards · Chesapeake

Chesapeake, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chesapeake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chesapeake?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chesapeake to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding83%Heat waves8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Chesapeake faces

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

Inland flooding

83% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Chesapeake flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978

$41Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 9 claims, $12K

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

Insurance rates: Lawrence County.

Disasters that hit Chesapeake

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesapeakeDeclared for Lawrence County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2003

Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow

28 households applied for aid $26K aid approved $174K to the Village of Chesapeake for repairs

Lawrence County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Chesapeake

Chesapeake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Chesapeakemostly inland floodingVery high

Unionmostly inland floodingVery high

Huntingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Chesapeake is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chesapeake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Chesapeake. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.