Natural hazards · Fairlawn

Fairlawn, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairlawn comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairlawn?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairlawn to be higher than in 7% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding58%Hail16%Tornadoes9%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Fairlawn faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Fairlawn flood?

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

16paid claims since 1980

$106Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19802026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Summit County.

Disasters that hit Fairlawn

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairlawnDeclared for Summit County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$23K to the City of Fairlawn for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

63 households applied for aid $104K aid approved $6K to the City of Fairlawn for repairs

Summit County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Fairlawn

Fairlawn and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Akronmostly inland floodingVery low

Copleymostly inland floodingVery low

Bathmostly inland floodingVery low

Fairlawnmostly inland floodingVery low

Montrose-Ghentmostly 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. Fairlawn covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fairlawn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fairlawn. 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 Fairlawn total about $1.3M 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.