Natural hazards · Toledo

Toledo, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Toledo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 520 claims here since 1978. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Toledo?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Toledo to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding60%Tornadoes17%Cold waves8%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Toledo faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

DroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Toledo flood?

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

520paid claims since 1978

$4.8Mpaid to owners

54homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Erin: 1 claim, $4K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lucas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

22flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

4storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Toledo

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ToledoDeclared for Lucas County only

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding

4,224 households applied for aid $3.3M aid approved

Lucas County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Toledo

Toledo and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ottawa Hillsmostly inland floodingHigh

Springfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Sylvaniamostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Eriemostly inland floodingLow

Toledomostly inland floodingLow

Bedfordmostly inland floodingLow

Maumeemostly inland floodingLow

Perrysburgmostly inland floodingLow

Oregonmostly 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. Toledo covers 114 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Toledo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Toledo. 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 Toledo total about $58.3M 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.