La Rue’s biggest natural hazard is inland flooding
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in La Rue comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 69 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about La Rue’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does La Rue flood? Sometimes: 69 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in La Rue, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late winter storms28 claims · $953K
La Rue isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Marion County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to La Rue
Disasters that paid out in La Rue itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of La Rue) and its biggest flood years.
- 201329 flood claims paidOne of the three biggest flood years on record
- 201129 flood claims paidThe most in any one year on record
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$1K to the Village of La Rue for repairs6 flood claims paid that year
- 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides1 household applied for aid$236 aid approved$9K to the Village of La Rue for repairs
- 2004Snow$838 to the Village of La Rue for repairs
Marion County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.
Old photos of La Rue after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the La Rue archive →How exposed is La Rue?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.
Rated higher than 2,264 of the 2,573 Ohio towns we cover.
La Rue is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What La Rue faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Inland flooding
Cold waves
Tornadoes
Strong wind
Get ready for what La Rue actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Let faucets drip so pipes don’t freeze.
- Know where your water shutoff is.
- Never heat the house with the oven or a grill.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
La Rue and its neighbors
La Rue has the lowest rating of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Rating | Mostly | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Rue | High | inland flooding | 69 |
| Montgomery | High | inland flooding | 0 |
| Bowling Green | High | inland flooding | 100 |
Rating = expected yearly storm and flood damage as a share of what’s there, vs. U.S. communities. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Most disasters here begin in June–August
The month each of Marion County’s 10 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to La Rue’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of La Rue.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in La Rue.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.