Enter any address in Lorain County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Lorain County. Between 1994 and 2024, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 62 flash flood events, resulting in 2 fatalities. More recent events include flash flooding on August 23, 2023, and May 22, 2024, linked to atmospheric conditions such as warm, moist air masses and developing thunderstorms along cold fronts.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $13,224 and an average water depth of 6.2 feet. However, properties in Zone X, despite having fewer claims, show a higher average payout of $17,091 and an average water depth of 2.5 feet. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
37 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Lorain County, Ohio has recorded 81 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 62 flash floods and 17 river or area floods. The county has received 19 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2020)
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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 18, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Other | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Nov 10, 2002 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 7, 1995 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 3.00M |
| Flash Flood | Aug 21, 2022 | 800.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 9, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2020 | 2.00K |
Flash Flood — May 22, 2024
At the surface, an occluded low moved north-northeastward from near western Lake Superior to northern ON, west of James Bay, during the late morning of the 22nd through the wee hours of the morning of the 23rd. Simultaneously, the trailing cold front advanced generally eastward from southeastern Lower MI to the western NY to northeast OH corridor, just east and southeast of Lake Erie. Clusters ...
Flood — Aug 24, 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 — 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 — Aug 21, 2022
Weak surface low pressure slowly moved across northwest Ohio over the southern shore of Lake Erie in north central Ohio during the afternoon and evening hours of August 21st. A warm front was oriented from west to east across the area just south of the lakeshore, while a trailing cold front slowly advanced eastward behind the low. In the warm sector, MUCAPE values of 1000-1500 j/kg, weak deep l...
Flash Flood — Jul 12, 2021
A stationary boundary was situated from west to east across northern OH on July 12th, 2021, and would lift north to Lake Erie by late afternoon. This allowed for a warm, unstable airmass to reside over the region, with surface dewpoints in the low 70s, and PWAT values in the 1.8 to 1.9 range. MLCAPE values were near 1000 j/kg, with slow storm motions in the 20 to 25 kt. range. Deep layer bulk s...
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 Lorain 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 Lorain 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.