Natural hazards · Chester

Chester, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1998. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Chester?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chester to be higher than in 38% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding75%Heat waves7%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 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 Chester flood?

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

8paid claims since 1998

$241Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 3 claims, $177K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Meigs County.

Disasters that hit Chester

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ChesterDeclared for Meigs County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Meigs County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Chester

Chester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Salisburymostly inland floodingVery high

Suttonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lebanonmostly inland floodingModerate

Bedfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Chestermostly inland floodingLow

Orangemostly inland floodingLow

Olivemostly inland floodingLow

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. Chester covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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