Natural hazards · Fairfax

Fairfax, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfax comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 56 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairfax?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfax to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes16%Earthquakes7%Heat waves6%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Fairfax faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Fairfax flood?

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

56paid claims since 1978

$679Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $1K

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. Fairfax isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hamilton County.

Disasters that hit Fairfax

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfaxDeclared for Hamilton County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$18K to the Village of Fairfax for repairs

2004

Snow

$2K to the Village of Fairfax for repairs

2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$17K to the Village of Fairfax for repairs

Hamilton County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Fairfax

Fairfax and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mariemontmostly inland floodingHigh

Fairfaxmostly inland floodingModerate

Columbiamostly inland floodingLow

Cincinnatimostly 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. Fairfax covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairfax’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Fairfax. 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 Fairfax total about $904K 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.