Natural hazards · Fairfield

Fairfield, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 180 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairfield?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfield to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes29%Cold waves15%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Fairfield faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

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 Fairfield flood?

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

180paid claims since 1979

$1.3Mpaid to owners

21homes 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. Fairfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Butler County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

83flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Fairfield

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfieldDeclared for Butler County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$417K to the City of Fairfield for repairs

2004

Snow

$80K to the City of Fairfield for repairs

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

Around Fairfield

Fairfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rossmostly inland floodingHigh

Hamiltonmostly inland floodingModerate

Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow

Colerainmostly inland floodingLow

West Chestermostly inland floodingVery low

Forest Parkmostly tornadoesVery low

Springdalemostly 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. Fairfield covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fairfield. 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 Fairfield total about $12.4M 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.