Natural hazards · Shelby

Shelby, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shelby comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 136 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 Shelby?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shelby to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Tornadoes6%Hail5%Ice storms5%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Shelby faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Shelby flood?

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

136paid claims since 1979

$5.3Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 13 claims, $138K
Tropical Storm Erin: 6 claims, $612K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Shelby is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Richland County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

55flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Shelby

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShelbyDeclared for Richland County only

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

453 households applied for aid $890K aid approved

2004

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

220 households applied for aid $116K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $24K aid approved

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

Around Shelby

Shelby and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Shelbymostly inland floodingLow

Sharonmostly inland floodingLow

Plymouthmostly inland floodingVery low

Jacksonmostly 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. Shelby covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shelby’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Shelby. 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 Shelby total about $1.3M 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.