Natural hazards · Decatur

Decatur, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Decatur comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2000.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Decatur?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Decatur to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding79%Heat waves11%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Decatur faces

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

Inland flooding

79% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% 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 Decatur flood?

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

16paid claims since 2000

$167Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20002026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 1 claim, $34K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Decatur 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 Decatur

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Lawrence County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Decatur itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into DecaturDeclared for Lawrence County only

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

Around Decatur

Decatur and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Decaturmostly inland floodingVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingVery high

Symmesmostly inland floodingVery high

Vernonmostly inland floodingModerate

Elizabethmostly inland floodingModerate

Bloommostly 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. Decatur covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Decatur’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Decatur. 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 Decatur total about $558K 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.