Enter any address in Washington County, Ohio to see its FEMA flood zone
River overflow along the Ohio River and its tributaries is the dominant flood character for Washington County, OH. Between 2000 and 2020, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 171 flood events and 33 flash flood events. Recent flood events occurred in February 2025, driven by warm fronts and substantial rainfall, and in May 2025, following a warm front and rounds of rain that saturated soils.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A experienced the highest number of claims (890) with an average payout of $15,308 and an average water depth of 7.8 feet. Properties in Zone X_SHADED saw the deepest average water levels at 17.5 feet, with 13 claims and an average payout of $15,779. Properties in Zone X_UNSHADED, while fewer in number (42 claims), had the highest average payout ($23,589) and an average water depth of 10.1 feet. Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, or those with properties experiencing significant water depth as seen in Zone X_SHADED and X_UNSHADED, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
161 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Washington County, Ohio has recorded 204 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 33 flash floods and 171 river or area floods. The county has received 20 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 (1968–2020)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Flood | Feb 5, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 14, 2018 |
| Severe Storms | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 4, 2011 |
| 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 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 30, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jun 7, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 3, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 28, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 25, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2024 | 0.25K |
Flood — May 30, 2025
A warm front lifted into the area on the night of May 29th and remained present overhead until being ushered east by a low the evening of the 30th. Behind this system, a cold front approached from the north and slowly descended southward through the Ohio Valley on the 31st.||Rounds of rain moved across the area on the 30th, with some additional showers lingering overnight. Around an inch of rai...
Flood — Feb 16, 2025
Light precipitation started to arrive the evening of the 14th, then more substantial rain spread across the area overnight into the 15th as a warm front approached from the south. While precipitation coverage eroded from southeast Ohio and northwest West Virginia during the afternoon, moderate to heavy rain continued to trail across northeast Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and southwest Vir...
Flash Flood — Jun 15, 2025
A multi-day period of flooding occurred in southeast Ohio during the middle of the month due to a stalled front across Ohio, southern Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia while an upper level disturbance pivoted overhead. Showers and storms began to develop in the moist and unstable environment by the night of June 13th. A lull in precipitation occurred on the morning of the 14th, then acti...
Flood — Jun 7, 2025
The start of June remained in an active state across southeast Ohio as a stationary front hovered over Ohio and Pennsylvania starting on the 5th and 6th. The front briefly resumed a southeast march into West Virginia on the 7th before stalling across the area once again. A low pressure system finally pushed the boundary to the north and then sent a cold front through the middle Ohio Valley and ...
Flood — Apr 6, 2025
A line of showers and thunderstorms followed a warm front across the Middle Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians during the morning of April 3rd. A cold front brought more precipitation into the area the night of the 3rd and then stalled over West Virginia through the morning of the 4th. Showers continued in the vicinity of the boundary, which slid to the south the afternoon of the 4th before b...
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 Washington 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 Washington 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.