17 flood insurance claims·$293,274 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 Hardin 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.
River and flash flooding from heavy rainstorms and slow-moving weather systems dominate the flood risk in Hardin County. Over a thirty-year period, NOAA records document 32 flood events and 16 flash flood events driven by stalled frontal boundaries and low-pressure systems across the Ohio Valley. For example, a slow-moving upper-level low-pressure system produced showers, thunderstorms, and flash flooding in May 2020, while heavy rains from severe thunderstorms developed along an oscillating frontal boundary in June 2019.
National Flood Insurance Program records show that claims have been filed across multiple flood zones. Zone A properties account for 13 claims with an average payout of $14,718 and an average recorded water depth of 13 inches. Zone X properties account for 3 claims with an average payout of $30,692 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches, while 1 claim in an unknown zone recorded an average payout of $9,861 and an average water depth of 3 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties located within Zone A and Zone X, where historical claims demonstrate that both high-depth river flooding and moderate-depth inundation present documented risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
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 2011, with 7 claims and $125,403 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.
12 federal disaster declarations since 1977.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Mar 7, 2008 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Aug 20, 2007 |
| 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 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
48 since 1996: 16 flash floods and 32 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 19, 2020 | — |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Sep 7, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Jun 18, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 16, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jul 6, 2019 | — |
| Flood | Jun 22, 2018 | — |
| Flood | May 18, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 19, 2020. A slow moving upper level low pressure system produced showers and thunderstorms across the Ohio Valley.
Flood · May 18, 2020. A slow moving upper level low pressure system produced showers and thunderstorms across the Ohio Valley.
Flood · Sep 7, 2020. Showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours along a stalled frontal boundary that was stretching across central Ohio. The thunderstorms continued into the early morning hours of the 8th, producing areas of heavy rain.
Flood · Jun 18, 2019. Severe thunderstorms producing heavy rains developed on an oscillating frontal boundary draped across 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 Hardin 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.