Natural hazards · York

York, OH natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in York comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 claims here since 1979.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is York?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in York to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding89%Everything else11%

By hazard

What York faces

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

Inland flooding

89% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 York flood?

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

13paid claims since 1979

$40Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Ivan: 1 claim, $4K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $120

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Athens County.

Disasters that hit York

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into YorkDeclared for Athens County only

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

Around York

York and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Nelsonvillemostly inland floodingVery high

Buchtelmostly inland floodingVery high

Yorkmostly inland floodingVery high

Wardmostly inland floodingVery high

Dovermostly inland floodingVery high

Starrmostly inland floodingModerate

Waterloomostly 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. York covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to York’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of York. 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 York total about $3.0M 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.