Natural hazards · Wellston

Wellston, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wellston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1997. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wellston?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wellston to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Heat waves9%Tornadoes6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Wellston 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 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Wellston flood?

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

9paid claims since 1997

$105Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19972026

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

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Wellston

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WellstonDeclared for Jackson County only

2012

Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds

$25K to the City of Wellston for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow

31 households applied for aid $22K aid approved $18K to the City of Wellston for repairs

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

Around Wellston

Wellston and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Coalmostly inland floodingModerate

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Wellstonmostly inland floodingLow

Miltonmostly 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. Wellston is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wellston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wellston. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.