38 flood insurance claims·$252,288 paid
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Champaign County, Ohio. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flooding driven by general flood events dominates Champaign County, supplemented by occasional flash flooding and one recorded flash flood fatality over the past 30 years. NOAA storm records show that heavy rainfall frequently develops from thunderstorms and low pressure systems moving along cold fronts, such as events in March 2020 and June 2022.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims occur across multiple zones, with notable payouts and water depths recorded outside of high-risk areas. Specifically, Zone X accounts for 14 claims with an average payout of $9,219 and an average recorded water depth of 9 inches. Zone A includes 13 claims averaging $9,906 with an average depth of 3 inches, while unshaded Zone X accounts for 8 claims averaging $10,228 with an average depth of 16 inches. Shaded Zone X recorded 1 claim with a $0 payout and 0 inches of water depth, and unknown zones recorded 2 claims averaging $390 with 0 inches of water depth.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located in both designated special flood hazard areas like Zone A and moderate-to-low risk zones such as Zone X and unshaded Zone X, where historical claims demonstrate that significant standing water and financial loss can still occur.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
41% of Champaign County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
22 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 10 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1999, with 5 claims and $33,866 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
1 NOAA storm reports from Champaign County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Ohio flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1978.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Sep 14, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Snow | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 7, 1995 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
46 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 34 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 29, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Apr 2, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Aug 21, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Jun 12, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Mar 7, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Mar 28, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 17, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 17, 2019 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 29, 2025. Scattered thunderstorms moved through the region in association with an upper level disturbance.
Flood · Apr 2, 2024. An area of showers and thunderstorms moved through the region during the early morning hours.
Flood · Aug 21, 2022. Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of a low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley.
Flood · Jun 12, 2022. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and early evening hours as an upper level disturbance moved through the region.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Champaign County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.