Natural hazards · Lancaster

Lancaster, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lancaster comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 79 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lancaster?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lancaster to be higher than in 42% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Tornadoes7%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Lancaster faces

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

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Lancaster flood?

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

79paid claims since 1979

$782Kpaid to owners

10homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

March storm: 5 claims, $12K
Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fairfield County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Lancaster

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LancasterDeclared for Fairfield County only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$142K to the City of Lancaster for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$229K to the City of Lancaster for repairs

2008

Record Snow and Near Record Snow

$44K to the City of Lancaster for repairs

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

48 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

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

Around Lancaster

Lancaster and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bernemostly inland floodingModerate

Lancastermostly inland floodingModerate

Pleasantmostly inland floodingVery low

Hockingmostly inland floodingVery low

Greenfieldmostly 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. Lancaster covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lancaster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lancaster. 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 Lancaster total about $8.6M 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.