Natural hazards · Kirkwood

Kirkwood, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kirkwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2004. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kirkwood?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding75%Tornadoes8%Lightning7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Kirkwood faces

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

Inland flooding

75% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 52 years in the area

Lightning

7% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Kirkwood flood?

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

1paid claims since 2004

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Belmont County.

Disasters that hit Kirkwood

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KirkwoodDeclared for Belmont County only

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$3K to the Township of Kirkwood for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$48K to the Township of Kirkwood for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow

$10K to the Township of Kirkwood for repairs

Belmont County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Kirkwood

Kirkwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Oxfordmostly inland floodingModerate

Londonderrymostly inland floodingModerate

Flushingmostly inland floodingLow

Kirkwoodmostly inland floodingVery low

Unionmostly inland floodingVery low

Warrenmostly 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. Kirkwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kirkwood’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Kirkwood. 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 Kirkwood total about $746K 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.