Natural hazards · Stow

Stow, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Stow comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 42 claims here since 1980. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Stow?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Stow to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hail12%Tornadoes8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Stow faces

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

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter 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 Stow flood?

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

42paid claims since 1980

$323Kpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19802026

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. Stow isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Summit County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Stow

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into StowDeclared for Summit County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$23K to the City of Stow for repairs

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

68 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $38K to the City of Stow for repairs

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

375 households applied for aid $682K aid approved $80K to the City of Stow for repairs

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

Around Stow

Stow and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Silver Lakemostly inland floodingModerate

Munroe Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Franklinmostly inland floodingLow

Cuyahoga Fallsmostly inland floodingLow

Kentmostly inland floodingLow

Stowmostly inland floodingVery low

Tallmadgemostly inland floodingVery low

Hudsonmostly inland floodingVery low

Brimfieldmostly 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. Stow covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Stow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Stow. 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 Stow total about $6.2M 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.