Enter any address in Summit County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms is the dominant flood hazard in Summit County, Ohio. Between 1994 and 2024, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 54 flash flood events, resulting in 4 fatalities. More general flood events accounted for an additional 13 occurrences and 1 death during the same period. Recent flash flooding was observed in August 2024, driven by tropical moisture and localized thunderstorm development.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $14,795 and an average water depth of 4.4 feet. However, properties in Zone X_UNSHADED have seen the highest average payouts at $29,670, with an average water depth of 6.4 feet, despite fewer claims. Homeowners in Zone A, Zone X_UNSHADED, and those in areas with unknown flood risk designations should pay close attention to flood potential.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
38 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Summit County, Ohio has recorded 67 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 54 flash floods and 13 river or area floods. The county has received 14 federal disaster declarations. 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 |
| Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike | Severe Storm | Sep 14, 2008 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Aug 27, 2004 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 18, 2004 |
| Power Outage | Other | Aug 14, 2003 |
| Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, And High Winds | Tornado | Jul 21, 2003 |
| Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Nov 10, 2002 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 650.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 450.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 30.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 200.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 100.00K |
| Flash Flood | Aug 8, 2024 | 500.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 25, 2020 | 15.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 7, 2020 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Aug 8, 2024
A surface trough was oriented south to north across northeast Ohio during the afternoon and early evening of August 8th, 2024, with then Tropical Depression Debby centered over the Carolinas. Strong tropical moisture advection northwestward into the area and modest mixed layer CAPE (1000 j/kg) allowed for thunderstorm development throughout the mid afternoon into the early evening hours, with t...
Flash Flood — May 25, 2020
Scattered showers and thunderstorms occurred during the afternoon and early evening of the 25th, originally triggered by a lake breeze boundary. These showers and storms occurred in a moderately-unstable air mass with moderate to strong DCAPE. Limited wind shear supported slow moving storms with moderate to heavy rainfall. One storm with heavy rain produced localized flash flooding in the town ...
Flash Flood — Sep 7, 2020
A cold front moved slowly southward across Lake Erie and northern Ohio into a moist environment early Labor Day morning. A strong jet aloft fueled persistent moisture advection along with significant backbuilding and training of thunderstorms across the area between about 6am and 6pm Monday. This resulted in a widespread 2-5��� of rain with isolated amounts even higher. Later that afterno...
Flood — Jun 5, 2020
Isolated thunderstorms developed along a Lake Erie lake breeze front in northeast Ohio during the early evening of the 5th. These storms then progressed southeastward over the course of several hours. The storms produced localized flooding and straight-line wind damage in Summit and Stark Counties.
Flood — Jun 17, 2019
A stationary front supported widespread showers and thunderstorms across northern and central Ohio. During the overnight of June 16th into the morning of the 17th heavy showers developed along this boundary. Warm and humid conditions with precipitable water values around 1.75-2.0��� supported very efficient rainfall with rainfall rates exceeding 3 inches per hour. Three day totals in this...
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 Summit 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 Summit 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.