Enter any address in Ashtabula County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Ashtabula County. Between 2024 and 2025, events in June brought significant flash flooding, driven by slow-moving storm systems and lake breeze fronts.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has recorded 129 claims in Ashtabula County over an unspecified period. Zone A, typically areas with higher flood risk, has seen 52 claims with an average payout of $10,845 and an average water depth of 4.0 feet. Zone X, which includes moderate flood risk areas, has the highest average payout at $25,859 for 21 claims, with an average water depth of 6.5 feet. Properties in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and X_SHADED, may experience higher flood risk and should pay close attention to flood advisories.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
18 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Ashtabula County, Ohio has recorded 52 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 41 flash floods and 9 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding Due To The Remnants Of Hurricane Sandy | Hurricane | Oct 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Snowstorm | Mar 7, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jul 27, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Other | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Severe Storms & Tornadoes | Tornado | May 31, 1985 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2025 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2024 | 250.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 26, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2021 | 100.00K |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2020 | 5.00M |
| Flood | Feb 1, 2020 | 10.00M |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 14, 2019 | 85.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Jul 7, 2019 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2014 | 150.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2025
A slow-moving cold front was draped west to east across the southern Great Lakes during the day of June 18th, 2025, with low pressure near Chicago drifting east toward southern Ontario. An upper-level shortwave trough moving eastward across the southern Great Lakes during the afternoon brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to portions of northern Ohio, with slow-moving and back-building s...
Flash Flood — Jun 26, 2024
A cold front drifted southeastward from central Lake Huron, southern Lower MI, and northwestern IN to southern ON, southeastern Lower MI, far-northwestern OH, and northern IN during the late morning through early evening of the 26th. The front was preceded by a warm and humid sector comprised of weak to moderate MUCAPE and DCAPE, respectively, and moderate to strong effective bulk shear in nort...
Flash Flood — Jul 29, 2021
A surface low moved from northern Lake Huron to near Toronto during the late morning through early afternoon of the 29th. Simultaneously, the trailing cold front swept southeast from southern Lower MI to northwestern OH and central Lake Erie. Ahead of the cold front, clusters of multicell thunderstorms impacted northeast OH and produced damaging wind gusts in Ashtabula County. These storms enco...
Flood — Mar 1, 2020
New record high monthly mean water levels were set on Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie in March 2020. All three lakes surpassed their previous records set in 1986. The individual lakes basins experienced precipitation that was near to above average with the Lake Erie basin receiving the most precipitation, which was 121% of average. Water supplies for all of the lakes were above averag...
Flood — Feb 1, 2020
Lake Erie continued its seasonal rise in February, rising 4 inches from January to February to a level of 573.82 feet. This level was a new record high monthly mean water level for February, surpassing its previous record set in 1987 by 5 inches. The level was also 11 inches above the February 2019 level.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Ashtabula County, Ohio:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Ashtabula County, Ohio that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.