Natural hazards · Urbana

Urbana, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Urbana comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Urbana?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Urbana to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding63%Tornadoes12%Cold waves6%Earthquakes6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Urbana faces

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

Inland flooding

63% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Urbana flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979

$151Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $390

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Champaign County.

Disasters that hit Urbana

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UrbanaDeclared for Champaign County only

2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$88K to the City of Urbana for repairs

2004

Snow

$26K to the City of Urbana for repairs

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

Around Urbana

Urbana and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Mad Rivermostly inland floodingModerate

Urbanamostly 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. Urbana covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Urbana’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Urbana. 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 Urbana total about $1.2M 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.