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Greene County, Ohio

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

Relatively Low overall risk
18th of 88highest risk in Ohio
$42Mexpected losses a year
14federal declarations
1 in 143homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Greene County, Ohio has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 76% of US counties. It ranks 18th of 88 counties in Ohio. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $42 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $248 per resident. Since 1968 it has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (8 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2019 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslide). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (383 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $1.6 million on 156 claims here.

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

Top risks in Greene County

$19.5 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.
$9.7 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.

Tornado

Moderate
$5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 4 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 floodingModerate75.4
$20M
Cold waveHigh91.9
$10M
TornadoModerate81.3
$5M
EarthquakeLow80.3
$2M
Strong windModerate83.7
$2M
Heat waveLow65.4
$883K
HailModerate73.8
$790K
Ice stormHigh86.3
$788K
LightningModerate74.8
$708K
Winter weatherModerate71.4
$163K
DroughtLow46.7
$140K
HurricaneVery Low37.6
$30K
WildfireVery Low30.8
$18K
LandslideVery Low58.4
$3K

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 very 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 Greene County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm5
Snowstorm4
Flood2
Tornado2
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jun 18, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslideMajor disaster
Jun 30, 2012Severe StormsEmergency
Oct 24, 2008Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression IkeMajor disaster
Apr 24, 2008Record Snow and Near Record SnowEmergency
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 11, 2005SnowEmergency
Sep 19, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 14, 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record SnowMajor disaster
Sep 26, 2000Severe Storms and TornadoMajor disaster
Jun 10, 1989Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 14
Jan 26, 1978Blizzards & SnowstormsEmergency
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormsEmergency
Apr 4, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster
Jun 5, 1968Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster

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 586 storm reports in Greene County since 1955, with 37 deaths and 1,277 injuries and about $323 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974.

25tornadoes
165hail reports, largest 3 inches
313damaging thunderstorm winds
76floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 3, 1974F5–1150 / 36
Sep 20, 2000F4Xenia100 / 1
May 27, 2019EF3New Germany0 / 0
May 14, 2014EF3Xenia Port Xenia Arp0 / 0
May 10, 1969F3–6 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 3, 1974Tornado–$250M
May 27, 2019TornadoNew Germany$50M
Sep 20, 2000TornadoXenia$15M
Apr 25, 1989Tornado–$3M
May 26, 2015TornadoCountry Acres$750K
May 14, 2014TornadoXenia Port Xenia Arp$500K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through May 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 Greene County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.7%of homes have federal flood insurance (383 policies)
26.7%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$1.6 millionpaid on 156 flood claims since 1978
2011costliest year, with $307,085 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 Greene County

$252,200median home value (Ohio $214,800, US $332,700)
1976median year homes were built (Ohio 1970, US 1980)
57%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
0.8%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; 72,391 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
Warren CountyLow11
Clark CountyLow9
Madison CountyVery Low10
Clinton CountyVery Low8
Fayette CountyVery Low9

Common questions about Greene County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Greene County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Greene County, about $19.5 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $9.7 million.

How many federal disasters has Greene County had?

Greene County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1968, including 8 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslide in June 2019.

Is Greene County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 18th 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 Greene County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 143 homes in Greene 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 Greene County had?

NOAA records list 25 tornadoes in Greene County since 1950. The strongest was an F5 tornado on April 3, 1974. The weather service has also logged 165 hail reports and 76 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.