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Darke County, Ohio

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

Relatively Low overall risk
50th of 88highest risk in Ohio
$20Mexpected losses a year
11federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Darke County, Ohio has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 53% of US counties. It ranks 50th of 88 counties in Ohio. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $20 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $391 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (6 major disasters). The most recent was in May 2024 (tornadoes). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (69 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $238,000 on 35 claims here.

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

Top risks in Darke County

$10.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times 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.

Tornado

Moderate
$5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 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.
$2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 490 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow60.1
$11M
TornadoModerate81.8
$5M
EarthquakeLow80.1
$2M
Strong windModerate68.7
$1M
Cold waveLow34.4
$604K
HailLow58.5
$424K
LightningLow43.2
$214K
Heat waveVery Low29.3
$149K
Ice stormLow42.1
$69K
Winter weatherLow35.8
$44K
HurricaneVery Low37.8
$30K
WildfireVery Low12.3
$5K
LandslideVery Low35.5
$548

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 Darke County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm5
Snowstorm3
Tornado2
Hurricane1

Most recent

May 2, 2024TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 18, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslideMajor disaster
Jun 30, 2012Severe StormsEmergency
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 15, 2005Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Jan 11, 2005SnowEmergency
Sep 19, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 15, 2003Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 14, 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record SnowMajor disaster
Jan 26, 1978Blizzards & SnowstormsEmergency
Show all 11
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormsEmergency

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

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 460 storm reports in Darke County since 1955, with 0 deaths and 29 injuries and about $35 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on November 22, 1992.

31tornadoes
99hail reports, largest 2.75 inches
258damaging thunderstorm winds
67floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Nov 22, 1992F3–21 / 0
Nov 15, 1955F3–1 / 0
Jul 28, 1961F3–2 / 0
Apr 8, 1980F2–0 / 0
May 27, 1963F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Nov 22, 1992Tornado–$25M
Nov 15, 1955Tornado–$3M
Apr 8, 1980Tornado–$3M
May 27, 2019TornadoNew Madison$500K
Mar 14, 2024TornadoHill Grove$500K
May 7, 2024TornadoColetown$500K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 27, 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 Darke County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (69 policies)
20.1%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$237,584paid on 35 flood claims since 1978
2015costliest year, with $57,714 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 Darke County

$173,200median home value (Ohio $214,800, US $332,700)
1963median year homes were built (Ohio 1970, US 1980)
74%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4%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; 22,651 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
Montgomery CountyModerate11
Miami CountyLow13
Wayne County, INLow14
Shelby CountyLow13
Mercer CountyVery Low12
Preble CountyLow9
Randolph County, INVery Low18
Jay County, INVery Low14

Common questions about Darke County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Darke County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Darke County, about $10.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $5 million.

How many federal disasters has Darke County had?

Darke County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 6 major disasters. The most recent was Tornadoes in May 2024.

Is Darke County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 50th 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 Darke County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 333 homes in Darke 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 Darke County had?

NOAA records list 31 tornadoes in Darke County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on November 22, 1992. The weather service has also logged 99 hail reports and 67 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.