Natural hazards · Oberlin

Oberlin, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oberlin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 2004. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oberlin?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oberlin to be higher than in 4% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding55%Tornadoes16%Cold waves9%Earthquakes5%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Oberlin faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 8% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Oberlin flood?

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

6paid claims since 2004

$48Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20042026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 2 claims, $39K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lorain County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Oberlin

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OberlinDeclared for Lorain County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $83K aid approved

Lorain County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Oberlin

Oberlin and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pittsfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

New Russiamostly inland floodingVery low

Oberlinmostly 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. Oberlin covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oberlin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oberlin. 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 Oberlin total about $1.0M 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.