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Medina County, Ohio

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

Relatively Low overall risk
27th of 88highest risk in Ohio
$35Mexpected losses a year
12federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Medina County, Ohio has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 69% of US counties. It ranks 27th of 88 counties in Ohio. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and strong wind. FEMA estimates about $35 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $192 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (8 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2012 (severe storms). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (221 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $4.7 million on 290 claims here, including $1.9 million for floods in 2014.

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

Top risks in Medina County

$20.6 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
$6.5 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.
$2.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Secure outdoor furniture and trash bins before storms.
  • Have trees near the house checked.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate75.5
$21M
TornadoModerate84.6
$6M
Strong windHigh87.2
$2M
HailModerate84.0
$1M
Heat waveLow69.1
$1M
Cold waveLow46.3
$1M
Ice stormHigh86.1
$813K
LightningModerate66.5
$544K
Winter weatherHigh87.5
$423K
EarthquakeVery Low47.6
$308K
WildfireVery Low46.6
$48K
HurricaneVery Low39.3
$35K
LandslideVery Low30.0
$385

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 Medina County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm6
Tornado3
Snowstorm2
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jun 30, 2012Severe StormsEmergency
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 15, 2005Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Sep 19, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2004Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 1, 2003Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High WindsMajor disaster
Nov 18, 2002Severe Storms and TornadoesMajor disaster
Aug 4, 1992Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 26, 1978Blizzards & SnowstormsEmergency
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormsEmergency
Show all 12
Jul 15, 1969Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 14, 1965Tornadoes & Severe StormsMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1959

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 526 storm reports in Medina County since 1959, with 3 deaths and 24 injuries and about $48.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on July 12, 1992.

30tornadoes
173hail reports, largest 2.25 inches
273damaging thunderstorm winds
45floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jul 12, 1992F3–4 / 0
May 21, 2001F2Chatham0 / 0
Nov 10, 2002F2Homerville0 / 0
Jun 23, 2014EF1Brunswick0 / 0
Jun 28, 1994F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jun 17, 2019FloodHometown$12M
Jul 21, 2003Flash FloodCountywide$8M
May 21, 2004Flash FloodCountywide$4M
Jun 22, 2006Flash FloodCountywide$4M
Jul 12, 1992Tornado–$3M
May 12, 2014Flash FloodBrunswick Arpt$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 18, 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 Medina County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (221 policies)
26.2%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$4.7 millionpaid on 290 flood claims since 1978
2014costliest year, with $1.9 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 Medina County

$287,000median home value (Ohio $214,800, US $332,700)
1985median year homes were built (Ohio 1970, US 1980)
46%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
1%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; 76,202 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
Cuyahoga CountyHigh16
Summit CountyModerate11
Lorain CountyModerate16
Wayne CountyLow8
Ashland CountyLow9

Cities in Medina County

Common questions about Medina County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Medina County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Medina County, about $20.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $6.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Medina County had?

Medina County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 8 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms in June 2012.

Is Medina County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 27th 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 Medina County?

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

NOAA records list 30 tornadoes in Medina County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on July 12, 1992. The weather service has also logged 173 hail reports and 45 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.