400 flood insurance claims·$4.4M paid·2 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 Licking 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 from heavy rainfall events and thunderstorms dominates Licking County, with NOAA records detailing 66 floods and 36 flash floods over the last 30 years. Stalled cold fronts across central Ohio have triggered these heavy rainfall events, resulting in quick runoff and flooding, such as the storms recorded in July 2025.
Federal flood insurance claims data shows impacts across multiple zones. Zone A accounts for the highest claim volume with 257 claims averaging a payout of $16,900 and an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Properties in Zone X recorded 48 claims with an average payout of $17,385 and an average recorded water depth of 16 inches. Additional claims occurred in Zone X_UNSHADED (38 claims, average payout $5,132, average water depth 8 inches), Zone UNKNOWN (34 claims, average payout $3,831, average water depth 3 inches), and Zone X_SHADED (22 claims, average payout $19,644, average water depth 2 inches).
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A, which holds the vast majority of historical flood insurance claims in the county, as well as properties in Zone X where average recorded water depths reached 16 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
19% of Licking County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
317 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 7 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 1979, with 89 claims and $215,992 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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Licking County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Ohio flood stories →
20 federal disaster declarations since 1968, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Tornadoes | Mar 14, 2024 |
| 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 |
| Record Snow And Near Record Snow | Mar 7, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Aug 27, 2004 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
102 since 1996: 36 flash floods and 66 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 25, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | $8,000 |
| Flood | Feb 18, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Feb 17, 2022 | — |
| Flood | May 6, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 25, 2025. Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours in a warm and unstable airmass.
Flood · Jul 17, 2025. A low pressure system moved through the Mid Atlantic region, trailing a cold front south through the Ohio Valley. This cold front stalled out across central Ohio, prompting showers and thunderstorms to develop along its boundary. Some of these storms produced heavy rainfall that resulted in quick runoff and flooding.
Flash Flood · Jul 9, 2025. A low pressure system moved through the Great Lakes region, trailing a cold front through the area. Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the advancing cold front. Some storms produced gusty winds and heavy rainfall.
Flood · Jul 9, 2025. A low pressure system moved through the Great Lakes region, trailing a cold front through the area. Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the advancing cold front. Some storms produced gusty winds and heavy rainfall.
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 Licking 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.