Natural hazards · Vermilion

Vermilion, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vermilion comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 345 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 Vermilion?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vermilion to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Tornadoes10%Cold waves5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Vermilion faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% 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 Vermilion flood?

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

345paid claims since 1978

$4.1Mpaid to owners

37homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 1 claim, $5K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (9) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Vermilion 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

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Vermilion

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VermilionDeclared for Lorain County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

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

Around Vermilion

Vermilion and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Vermilionmostly inland floodingLow

Brownhelmmostly inland floodingLow

Vermilionmostly inland floodingVery low

Lorainmostly 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. Vermilion covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vermilion’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Vermilion. 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 Vermilion total about $3.4M 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.