Natural hazards · Elk

Elk, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elk comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1997.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Elk?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elk to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding76%Tornadoes6%Heat waves5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Elk faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 40 years in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Elk flood?

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

3paid claims since 1997

$91Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19972026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $33K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Vinton County.

Disasters that hit Elk

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ElkDeclared for Vinton County only

Vinton County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Elk

Elk and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Richlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Swanmostly inland floodingHigh

Madisonmostly inland floodingModerate

Elkmostly inland floodingLow

Clintonmostly 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. Elk covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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