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Natural hazard risk in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 97.9 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$282.4 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1965
16[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$35.3 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
20[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) gives Cuyahoga County an overall natural hazard Risk Index rating of Relatively High, with a score of 97.9 out of 100[5]. FEMA's highest hazard scores in this county are for cold wave, tornado and inland flooding[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Cuyahoga County at $282.4 million a year[1]. FEMA's largest hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values are inland flooding ($177.8 million a year), cold wave ($49.8 million a year) and tornado ($32.6 million a year)[7]. Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, and the index is not meant to predict next year's damage[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Relatively High for the county, which describes how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience Very High, which describes a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10]. All ratings compare this county with all US counties[8].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Cold WaveVery High$49.8 million[11]
TornadoVery High$32.6 million[12]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$177.8 million[13]
Heat WaveRelatively High$11.0 million[14]
Strong WindRelatively High$3.2 million[15]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$755,000[16]
LightningRelatively High$1.3 million[17]
Ice StormRelatively High$1.0 million[18]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$4.4 million[19]
HurricaneRelatively Low$229,000[20]
WildfireVery Low$60,000[21]
HailRelatively Low$284,000[22]
LandslideVery Low$387[23]
Coastal FloodingVery Low$6,024[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, volcanic activity[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High64.1[9]
Community resilienceVery High98.6[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a Risk Index score of 98.7[13]. FEMA rates coastal flooding risk Very Low[24]. OpenFEMA lists 1,730 NFIP claims filed for losses in the county from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $35.3 million in total[3]. As of 2026-08-03, OpenFEMA shows 301 NFIP residential flood insurance contracts in force for 802 residential structures inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), a rate of 37.5%[26]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is where to look up the flood zone for an address[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[13] Relatively High, $177.8 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[24] Very Low, $6,024 expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 858 of 441,210 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 802, of which 301 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1,730 filed, $35.3 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 16 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Cuyahoga County since 1965[2]. The most recent is DR-4098-OH, declared 2013-01-03[28]. NOAA's tornado database records 20 tornadoes that touched the county from 1950 to 2024, and the most recent was on 2024-08-06[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Cuyahoga County, since 1965
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 6
Flood[2] 4
Tornado[2] 3
Hurricane[2] 2
Snowstorm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4098-OH[28] Severe Storms And Flooding Due To The Remnants Of Hurricane Sandy 2013-01-03
EM-3346-OH[28] Severe Storms 2012-06-30
DR-1651-OH[28] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, And Flooding 2006-07-02
EM-3250-OH[28] Hurricane Katrina Evacuation 2005-09-13
DR-1556-OH[28] Severe Storms And Flooding 2004-09-19

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is Cuyahoga County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively High compared with other US counties, and coastal flooding Very Low[13][24]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the flood zone for a specific address[27].
Does Cuyahoga County get tornadoes?
FEMA rates tornado risk Very High compared with other US counties[12]. NOAA's tornado database records 20 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4].
Is Cuyahoga County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[19].
Is wildfire a risk in Cuyahoga County?
FEMA rates wildfire risk Very Low compared with other US counties[21].
How many disasters were declared in Cuyahoga County?
OpenFEMA lists 16 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1965[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Cuyahoga County is $282.4 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 97.3). Of this, buildings account for $202.7 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $79.7... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 16 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Cuyahoga County since 1965 (13 major disaster, 3 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 6, flood 4, tornado 3, hurricane 2, snowstorm 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1,730 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Cuyahoga County, 1,250 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $35.3 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 20 recorded tornadoes touched Cuyahoga County. The strongest were rated F4 (most recent of them on 1965-04-11). 3 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-08-06. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Cuyahoga County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 97.9 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Cuyahoga County are cold wave (99.6, Very High), tornado (98.9, Very High), inland flooding (98.7, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Cuyahoga County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($177.8 million a year), cold wave ($49.8 million a year), tornado ($32.6 million a year), out of $282.4 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Cuyahoga County is Relatively High (score 64.1). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Cuyahoga County is Very High (score 98.6). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $49.8 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 3.68 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $32.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.42 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $177.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.75 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $11.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $755,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 19.42 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 39.96 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 92.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.91 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 89.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.4 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0009 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 62.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $229,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the... FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 56.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $60,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 55.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $284,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 3.66 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 34.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $387 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Cuyahoga County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 33.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6,024 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0127 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Cuyahoga County: avalanche, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 858 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Cuyahoga County, out of 441,210 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.2%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 802 residential structures and 301 contracts, a... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.