Natural hazards · Erie

Erie, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Erie comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2018.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Erie?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Erie to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding72%Tornadoes12%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Erie faces

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

Inland flooding

72% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 23 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Erie flood?

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

5paid claims since 2018

$166Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20182026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ottawa County.

Disasters that hit Erie

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into ErieDeclared for Ottawa County only

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

Around Erie

Erie and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Salemmostly inland floodingVery high

Baymostly inland floodingHigh

Carrollmostly inland floodingHigh

Eriemostly inland floodingModerate

Port Clintonmostly inland floodingLow

Portagemostly 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. Erie covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Erie’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Erie. 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 Erie total about $555K 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.