Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1981.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 45% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes17%Hail13%Cold waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 70 years in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Washington flood?

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

10paid claims since 1981

$92Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Late winter storms: 1 claim, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Hancock County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Washington itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Hancock County only

Hancock County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and tornadoes.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Biglickmostly inland floodingModerate

Cassmostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Perrymostly inland floodingLow

Loudonmostly 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. Washington covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Washington. 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 Washington total about $1.1M 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.