Natural hazards · Dayton

Dayton, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dayton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 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 Dayton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding73%Cold waves7%Tornadoes6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Dayton faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 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

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Dayton flood?

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

24paid claims since 1979

$320Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Montgomery County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

16storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Dayton

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DaytonDeclared for Montgomery County only

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslide

3,413 households applied for aid $2.5M aid approved

Montgomery County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Dayton

Dayton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Morainemostly inland floodingModerate

Jeffersonmostly inland floodingLow

Daytonmostly inland floodingLow

Trotwoodmostly inland floodingLow

Shilohmostly inland floodingLow

Riversidemostly inland floodingLow

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery low

Ketteringmostly inland floodingVery low

Huber Heightsmostly inland floodingVery low

Vandaliamostly inland floodingVery low

Butlermostly inland floodingVery low

Fort McKinleymostly inland floodingVery low

Drexelmostly 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. Dayton covers 51 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dayton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dayton. 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 Dayton total about $39.6M 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.