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Crawford County, Ohio

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
67th of 88highest risk in Ohio
$12Mexpected losses a year
13federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Crawford County, Ohio has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 65% of US counties. It ranks 67th of 88 counties in Ohio. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $12 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $292 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (7 major disasters). The most recent was in May 2024 (tornadoes). Only 46 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $2.8 million on 154 claims here, including $1.3 million for floods in 2007.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Crawford County

$7.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
$1.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 4 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 5 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow51.9
$8M
Cold waveLow54.6
$1M
TornadoLow42.0
$1M
Strong windLow49.4
$593K
HailLow66.7
$530K
Ice stormModerate79.6
$431K
EarthquakeVery Low52.0
$332K
LightningLow50.2
$255K
Heat waveVery Low26.2
$117K
Winter weatherModerate61.6
$105K
HurricaneVery Low36.1
$25K
WildfireVery Low3.1
$1K
LandslideVery Low29.5
$323

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Crawford County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm6
Snowstorm4
Flood1
Hurricane1
Tornado1

Most recent

May 2, 2024TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 30, 2012Severe StormsEmergency
Apr 24, 2008Record Snow and Near Record SnowEmergency
Aug 27, 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 15, 2005Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Jan 11, 2005SnowEmergency
Sep 19, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 15, 2003Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 13
Jul 17, 1987Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 26, 1978Blizzards & SnowstormsEmergency
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormsEmergency

Ohio also had 3 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1961

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 349 storm reports in Crawford County since 1961, with 0 deaths and 10 injuries and about $93.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF2 tornado on September 4, 2017 near North Robinson.

18tornadoes
80hail reports, largest 2 inches
215damaging thunderstorm winds
33floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 4, 2017EF2North Robinson0 / 0
Nov 5, 2017EF2Galion0 / 0
Mar 14, 2024EF2New Washington0 / 0
Aug 13, 1975F2–0 / 0
Apr 17, 2024EF1Bucyrus0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 21, 2007Flash FloodBucyrus$65M
Aug 2, 1993Thunderstorm WindN Portion$6M
Aug 2, 1993Hail–$6M
Feb 28, 2011FloodBucyrus$2M
Sep 4, 2017TornadoNorth Robinson$1M
Jun 21, 2006Flash FloodNortheast Portion$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 3, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Crawford County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (46 policies)
20.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$2.8 millionpaid on 154 flood claims since 1978
2007costliest year, with $1.3 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Crawford County

$136,700median home value (Ohio $214,800, US $332,700)
1959median year homes were built (Ohio 1970, US 1980)
80%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
2.9%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 19,812 housing units.

Compare in Ohio

All 88 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Franklin CountyHighInland flooding
Cuyahoga CountyHighInland flooding
Hamilton CountyHighInland flooding
Summit CountyModerateInland flooding
Montgomery CountyModerateInland flooding
Lucas CountyModerateInland flooding
Butler CountyModerateInland flooding
Stark CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Richland CountyLow16
Marion CountyLow10
Huron CountyLow11
Seneca CountyLow11
Morrow CountyVery Low14
Wyandot CountyVery Low10

Common questions about Crawford County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Crawford County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Crawford County, about $7.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $1.2 million.

How many federal disasters has Crawford County had?

Crawford County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 7 major disasters. The most recent was Tornadoes in May 2024.

Is Crawford County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 67th highest of 88 in Ohio. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Crawford County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Crawford County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Crawford County had?

NOAA records list 18 tornadoes in Crawford County since 1950. The strongest was an EF2 tornado on September 4, 2017 near North Robinson. The weather service has also logged 80 hail reports and 33 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.