Hamilton County, Ohio: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hamilton County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.3 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,159 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 | Very High | 99.4 | $53M |
| Lightning | Very High | 96.7 | $2.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.9 | $25M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.4 | $16M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.2 | $4.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.9 | $109M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.3 | $538K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.5 | $658K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.4 | $142K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | $8.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.0 | $31K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 47.3 | $39K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 38.2 | $26K |
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 | 452 | 2 | $16M | 3rd of 88 | 46th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 262 | 3 | $32M | 1st of 88 | 47th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 210 | 0 | $9.6M | 8th of 88 | 165th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 141 | 2 | $4.0M | 6th of 88 | 249th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 1 | $133M | 35th of 88 | 654th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 18 | 4 | $1.2M | 1st of 88 | 138th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 13 | $334M | 39th of 88 | 1328th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | $27K | 4th of 88 | 298th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 10th of 88 | 941st of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 1 | $1.5M | 51st of 88 | 1595th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 53rd of 88 | 2205th 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 Hamilton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.