Enter any address in Lake County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Lake County, OH. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 26 flash flood events, alongside 23 general flood events, one lakeshore flood, and one coastal flood. Recent examples include flash flooding on August 23, 2023, and June 18, 2024, both associated with warm, humid air masses and developing thunderstorms.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $16,605 and an average water depth of 4.6 feet. Properties in Zone X also show significant claims, with higher average payouts and water depths compared to Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone X_SHADED. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN also have a notable number of claims.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zone X, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Properties located near bodies of water, including Lake Erie, and those without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE) should also be aware of potential flood hazards.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
28 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lake County, Ohio has recorded 51 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 26 flash floods and 23 river or area floods. The county has received 15 federal disaster declarations, 5 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 | 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 & Flooding | Flood | May 23, 1989 |
| Blizzards & Snowstorms | Snowstorm | Jan 26, 1978 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2024 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 29, 2020 | 20.00K |
| Flood | Oct 21, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 15, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 23, 2019 | 20.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Apr 14, 2019 | 75.00K |
| Lakeshore Flood | Jul 7, 2019 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Jun 18, 2024
Northern Ohio resided within the warm and humid sector along the northwestern flank of the Bermuda-Azores subtropical high during the late morning of the 17th through late evening of the 20th. In addition, a cold front drifted southeastward from the western Great Lakes to Lake Erie and northwest OH by the evening of the 20th.||Well-ahead of the the cold front, scattered multicell thunderstorms ...
Flash Flood — Aug 23, 2023
An anomalously-warm and moist air mass was in place across much of the Central Plains and Midwest, resulting in strong to perhaps extreme instability in addition to tropical-like precipitable water values exceeding 2.0 inches. The Lower Great Lakes region, specifically northern Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania found itself on the eastern edge of this heat dome. Strong northwest flow aloft persis...
Flash Flood — Mar 29, 2020
A warm front over central Ohio on the morning of Saturday March 28, 2020 was the focus for several rounds of elevated thunderstorms through the early afternoon hours. The main area for these thunderstorms were the US 30 and I-76 corridors through the morning and early afternoon hours as storms remained parallel to the warm front and moved with the 850 mb jet. These storms well utilized the stee...
Flood — Oct 21, 2020
On the morning of October 21st a warm front stalled over northern Ohio. This feature brought repeating showers and thunderstorms to the City of Cleveland and surrounding areas. Following a recent wet period, the ground was near saturation and smaller community storm drainage systems were near capacity. Moderate rainfall measuring over an inch an hour. Several road closers and a few water rescue...
Flood — May 15, 2020
Showers with isolated thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front across northern Ohio. These storms produced moderate to heavy rain concentrated along the frontal boundary stalled over lakeshore counties. The repeating storms brought rainfall of 1 to 3.5 inches, heaviest over Cuyahoga County. Water rescues were made in Lorain and Cuyahoga Counties mainly from overflowing creeks. Th...
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 Lake 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 Lake 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.