Natural hazards · Jefferson

Jefferson, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Jefferson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Jefferson?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Jefferson to be higher than in 8% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding59%Tornadoes18%Strong wind9%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Jefferson faces

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

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 68 years in the area

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Jefferson flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$160Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ashtabula County.

Disasters that hit Jefferson

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into JeffersonDeclared for Ashtabula County only

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

Around Jefferson

Jefferson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Denmarkmostly inland floodingLow

Austinburgmostly inland floodingLow

Lenoxmostly inland floodingVery low

Plymouthmostly inland floodingVery low

Jeffersonmostly 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. Jefferson covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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