Franklin County, Ohio: hazard risk
FEMA rates Franklin County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.1 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 9 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, heat wave, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 1,273 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.2 | $43M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.9 | $25M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.8 | $210M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.5 | $8.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.4 | $29M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.3 | $869K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.0 | $3.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.0 | $1.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.5 | $743K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.3 | $9.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 64.2 | $4K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 57.6 | $244K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 49.7 | $73K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 29.1 | $13K |
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 | 553 | 2 | $17M | 7th of 88 | 81st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 286 | 0 | $277M | 4th of 88 | 138th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 186 | 1 | $2.9M | 10th of 88 | 222nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 151 | 0 | $2.0M | 18th of 88 | 403rd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 40 | 0 | $120M | 5th of 88 | 256th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 0 | $177M | 40th of 88 | 800th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 4 | $37K | 11th of 88 | 539th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 26th of 88 | 1070th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 38th of 88 | 1511th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | $957K | 81st of 88 | 2026th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 76th of 88 | 2276th 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 Franklin County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.