Natural hazards · Howard

Howard, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2000. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Howard?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howard to be higher than in 16% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes12%Strong wind9%Cold waves9%Hail7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Howard faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 23% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Howard flood?

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

3paid claims since 2000

$33Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20002026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Knox County.

Disasters that hit Howard

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowardDeclared for Knox County only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$26K to the Township of Howard for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$13K to the Township of Howard for repairs

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$3K to the Township of Howard for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$139K to the Township of Howard for repairs

Knox County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Howard

Howard and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Unionmostly inland floodingLow

Brownmostly inland floodingLow

Monroemostly inland floodingLow

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery low

Howardmostly inland floodingVery low

Apple Valleymostly 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. Howard covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Howard’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Howard. 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 Howard total about $1.1M 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.