330 flood insurance claims·$2.4M paid·1 federal flood & hurricane disasters
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 Defiance 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.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Defiance County, supported by ten recorded flash flood events compared to five general flood events over the last thirty years. Heavy rain events driven by slow-moving troughs and moist low-level flow have historically caused significant disruptions, such as the heavy rainfall and flash flooding observed in May 2011 and June 2017.
National Flood Insurance Program claims data indicates that risk extends across multiple zones, with the highest volume of claims occurring in areas with unmapped or unknown designations alongside standard Zone A properties. Specifically, properties in Zone A recorded an average water depth of 19 inches with an average payout of $11,233 across 142 claims, while properties in Zone UNKNOWN recorded an average water depth of 3 inches with an average payout of $7,171 across 175 claims.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties in Zone A and unmapped (UNKNOWN) areas, which experience the most frequent claims and deepest average recorded water levels during heavy precipitation events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
5% of Defiance County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
150 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 9 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 1982, with 63 claims and $652,640 paid, the year of Severe Storms & Flooding.
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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Defiance County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Ohio flood stories →
8 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Mar 12, 1982 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Jan 26, 1978 |
| Snowstorms | Feb 2, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
15 since 1996: 10 flash floods and 5 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 30, 2017 | — |
| Flood | Jun 27, 2015 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2011 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | May 14, 2011 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 31, 2010 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2010 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2009 | — |
| Flood | Feb 5, 2008 | $20,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 30, 2017. Vigorous shortwave within generally weak to moderate low level flow and a very moist column helped to create a hazardous heavy rain event.
Flood · Jun 27, 2015. Thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall in portions of northwestern Ohio. A combination of upstream rainfall in Fort Wayne, Indiana and rainfall across Putnam county set the stage for flash flooding in the town of Payne, forcing evacuation of parts of the town as several inches of rain fell both upstream in Indiana and over the area. A similar scenario took place in Deshler (Henry county) where a care facility…
Flash Flood · May 25, 2011. A warm front was located from southwestern Indiana into northwestern Ohio through the 25th and into the early morning hours of the 26th. Several waves moved along the front, with each one generating thunderstorms. Numerous hail reports were received, with pockets of wind damage as well as an isolated tornado.
Flash Flood · May 14, 2011. A weak surface trough and low pressure system tracking along it allowed for thunderstorms to develop across portions of northwestern Ohio. Weak flow parallel to the trough allowed for redevelopment of thunderstorms, producing rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour. This caused areas of flooding and flash flooding. No injuries were reported.
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 Defiance 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.