Natural disaster risk in Athens County, Ohio
Ohio · population 62,393 · FIPS 39009
Overall: relatively low risk
Athens County has a composite risk score of 68.7 out of 100 — higher than 68% of US counties. It ranks 28 of 88 in Ohio (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are inland (riverine) flooding, ice storm, lightning.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Athens County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 21 weeks in a row.
Drought in Athens County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 68.7 |
| Expected annual loss About $25.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 68.4 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively moderate 50.5 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 54.4 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Athens County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 77 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 56 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 86 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 73 |
| Hail | Relatively low 60 |
| Drought | Relatively low 44 |
| Tornado | Relatively low 37 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 31 |
| Hurricane | Very low 53 |
| Earthquake | Very low 48 |
| Cold wave | Very low 19 |
| Wildfire | Very low 13 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Athens County
Federal declarations that designated Athens County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Athens County.
All FEMA declarations in Ohio, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Athens County, Ohio?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Athens County as relatively low, with a score of 68.7 out of 100 (higher than 68% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Athens County?
The hazards rated highest for Athens County are inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively moderate), lightning (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Athens County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Athens County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Athens County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Athens County.
Is Athens County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Athens County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 21 weeks in a row.
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