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Natural hazards · West Chester

West Chester, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Chester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is West Chester?

17
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Chester to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes27%Cold waves14%Everything else13%
By hazard

What West Chester faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Cold waves

14% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 West Chester flood?

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

17paid claims since 1978
$370Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Not a named storm: 1 claim, $231
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. West Chester isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Butler County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit West Chester

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in West Chester itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Township of West Chester.

Brought FEMA money into West ChesterDeclared for Butler County only
2008

Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike

$112K to the Township of West Chester for repairs
2004

Snow

$65K to the Township of West Chester for repairs
2001

Severe Storms and Flooding

$171K to the Township of West Chester for repairs
Butler County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around West Chester

West Chester and the towns around it

Liberty: Low, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland floodingSharonville: Very low, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingFairfield: Low, mostly inland floodingLemon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMadison: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Low, mostly inland floodingWoodsdale: High, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRoss: High, mostly inland floodingForest Park: Very low, mostly tornadoesColerain: Low, mostly inland floodingSpringdale: Very low, mostly inland floodingEvendale: Low, mostly inland floodingSycamore: Very low, mostly inland floodingBlue Ash: Very low, mostly inland floodingGlendale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBrecon: Very low, mostly inland floodingMason: Very low, mostly inland floodingKings Mills: Very low, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Low, mostly inland floodingLoveland Park: Low, mostly inland floodingSouth Lebanon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSymmes: Low, mostly inland floodingHighpoint: Very low, mostly inland floodingLanden: Very low, mostly inland floodingUnion: Low, mostly inland floodingSt. Clair: Very high, mostly inland floodingNew Miami: Very high, mostly inland floodingDunlap: Low, mostly inland floodingWest Chester: Very low, mostly inland flooding West ChesterLibertyFairfieldSharonvilleDeerfieldFairfield
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Fairfieldmostly inland floodingLow
Libertymostly inland floodingLow
West Chestermostly inland floodingVery low
Deerfieldmostly inland floodingVery low
Sharonvillemostly 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. West Chester covers 13 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West Chester’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of West Chester. 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 West Chester total about $18.8M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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