Enter any address in Richland County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Richland County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 39 flash flood events and 17 general flood events. Recent examples include flash flooding on August 24, 2023, and July 16, 2021, both linked to atmospheric conditions and storm systems.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data reveals that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $34,331 and an average water depth of 6.6 feet. Properties in Zone X also show significant claims, averaging $26,088 with an average water depth of 8.1 feet, despite fewer total claims. Homeowners in Zone A and Zone X, as well as those in areas with unknown flood risk or without a Base Flood Elevation (BFE), should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
22 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Richland County, Ohio has recorded 56 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 39 flash floods and 17 river or area floods. The county has received 18 federal disaster declarations, 1 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1969–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Tornadoes | Tornado | Mar 14, 2024 |
| 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, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Aug 20, 2007 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Snow | Snowstorm | Dec 22, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 27, 2004 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 23, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 9, 2021 | 2.00K |
| Flood | May 18, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2019 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2019 | 2.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2019 | 80.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 21, 2018 | 80.00K |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2018 | 4.00K |
Flash 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 — Jul 16, 2021
A cold front moved southeastward from Lower Michigan to Lake Erie during the evening and overnight of the 15th and then stalled in vicinity of the southern lakeshore by daybreak. This was in response to one surface low moving northeastward from southwestern Quebec toward the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River, while another low moved along the front from eastern Iowa to near the Michigan/Indiana...
Flood — May 9, 2021
A surface area of low pressure tracked from the high plains crossing northern Ohio on Sunday May 9th. Widespread light to moderate rain developed Sunday morning and was ongoing through much of the day. Temperatures were in the upper 30s to low 40s, and some snowflakes mixed in midday. As the system moved east, rain turned to snow in the primary snowbelt with reports up to 2��� in northwes...
Flood — May 18, 2020
A slow moving upper low over Illinois combined with a conveyor belt of humid air over Ohio supported widespread showers and thunderstorms over southern and central Ohio on the afternoon and evening of the 18th. The weather conditions supported not severe weather but heavy rain. Rain rates of 2 inches an hour or higher were observed with storms that trained, or repeated over the same areas. Ove...
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 Richland 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 Richland 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.