Natural hazards · Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mount Vernon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mount Vernon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mount Vernon to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding70%Tornadoes8%Hail6%Strong wind5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Mount Vernon faces

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

Inland flooding

70% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Mount Vernon flood?

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

18paid claims since 1979

$71Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 1 claim, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Mount VernonDeclared for Knox County only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$32K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$54K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$1K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

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

Around Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Mount Vernonmostly inland floodingModerate

Pleasantmostly inland floodingModerate

Morrismostly inland floodingModerate

Millermostly inland floodingModerate

Clintonmostly inland floodingLow

Mount Vernonmostly inland floodingLow

Monroemostly inland floodingLow

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. Mount Vernon covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mount Vernon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mount Vernon. 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 Mount Vernon total about $3.4M 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.