Natural hazards · West

West, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 2003. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is West?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Tornadoes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What West faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 37 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 West flood?

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

11paid claims since 2003

$127Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20032026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Columbiana County.

Disasters that hit West

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestDeclared for Columbiana County only

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

$56K to the Township of West for repairs

2003

Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds

$18K to the Township of West for repairs

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

Around West

West and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hanovermostly inland floodingModerate

Parismostly inland floodingModerate

Minervamostly inland floodingModerate

Westmostly inland floodingModerate

Augustamostly inland floodingLow

Knoxmostly 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 covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to West’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. 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 total about $1.7M 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.