Butler County, Ohio: hazard risk
FEMA rates Butler County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 91.5 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, cold wave, lightning. Its storm record holds 801 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.0 | $28M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.2 | $16M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.3 | $2.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.3 | $3.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 92.0 | $1.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.3 | $474K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 93.0 | $62M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $1.9M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 80.8 | $1.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.3 | $3.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.2 | $12K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 46.0 | $124K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 41.2 | $33K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 27.7 | $14K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 311 | 0 | $5.1M | 15th of 88 | 221st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 159 | 0 | $158K | 19th of 88 | 575th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 140 | 2 | $997K | 13th of 88 | 340th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 117 | 1 | $5.9M | 18th of 88 | 296th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 1 | $183M | 21st of 88 | 811th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 0 | $57M | 50th of 88 | 1014th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 14th of 88 | 1081st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 2 | $1.5M | 8th of 88 | 488th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $4K | 16th of 88 | 827th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 1 | $825K | 55th of 88 | 1706th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 69th of 88 | 2244th of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Butler County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.