Natural Disaster Risks in Ohio
The natural world spares no place from its wrath. While disasters occur everywhere, some places are more or less prone to certain types of disasters than others. The geography of Ohio is such that it is situated in a fertile nook in the midwest, far enough from coasts and active faults to avoid most risk of hurricane damage or earthquakes, but is still within the active tornado zone. Because of this, the most common natural disasters in Ohio are typically related to tornadoes and flooding.
A Good Place for Risk
Ohio, according to Trulia, a U.S-based real estate service, has 3 of the top 10 housing markets most removed from “nature’s wrath”. This means that when assessing for common disasters and historical disaster data, 3 cities in Ohio (Dayton, Akron, and Cleveland) fare pretty well when it comes to risk for natural disasters like hurricanes, forest fires, floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes. While there exists no area completely risk-free from potential disasters, some regions have a lower probability and risk factor than others for certain types of disasters.
Ohio is at risk for these natural occurrences, just not to the same degree as some of its neighbors. City Data has provided statistics proving that Ohio is one of the most average states climate-wise. And concerning earthquakes, Ohio History Central states that we haven’t experienced a damaging earthquake since 1986. We are extremely lucky in this area, but that doesn’t mean that damage can’t still happen to your home.
Ohio’s Disaster Potential
While Ohio doesn’t register as an obvious high risk state for natural disasters like many coastal states or mountainous states along active faults, Ohio is still very susceptible to a variety of natural disasters. Hurricane winds and rains can push as far inland as Ohio and alter weather patterns. Tornadoes are also fairly common across the state given the flat topography and propensity to attract low pressure systems. Also, to the north of the state lies Lake Erie, making certain areas of the state susceptible to flooding.
Disasters like forest fires are certainly possible in Ohio, but the high humidity and precipitation levels generally make widespread forest fires less likely. Flooding from heavy rains is also a risk, but typically not so high as to create a reputation for widespread damages. During the winter months, Ohio is often thrashed by snow and ice storms, making these forms of disasters quite common. Damages to homes and buildings from ice dams, frozen pipes, roof collapse, and other water damage is common. Where Ohio sometimes lacks in risk for severe storms and earthquakes, it often makes up for in risk for fire, water, and mold damage from other weather events.
We are extremely grateful that we don’t experience many life-threatening or damaging natural disasters, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for the worst! Here are 5 easy tips you can do to prepare for those outliers in weather!
- Regularly examine and maintain all water pipes and heaters
- Provide extra sealant for any windows and doors
- Remove any trees and debris near your home to avoid collisions in tornadoes
- Purchase a generator and emergency supplies
- Check the weather regularly so you are not caught off-guard by storms!
We hope that we won’t be seeing any significant storms or impending disasters coming our way, but if you have experienced a natural disaster, we are happy to help you get your life back in order. Give us a call at 513-214-3879, or visit our disaster recovery page for more information.