Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLess hazard damage per building is expected in Bainbridge than in 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bainbridge gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #431 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1994.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Bainbridge faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Bainbridge’s grade
River and rain flooding is 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bainbridge, and Bainbridge’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Winter storms add 2%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
A− #431 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Bainbridge’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Bainbridge has less expected damage per building than 57% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across Bainbridge: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Bainbridge flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1994
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bainbridge, from FEMA’s records: 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 81% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Bainbridge isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Geauga County.The storms Bainbridge remembers
None of the 9 disasters declared for Geauga County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Bainbridge itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20152 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19941 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Geauga County has had 9 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Bainbridge after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Bainbridge archive →Bainbridge and its neighbors
Bainbridge is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Aless damage than 94% | river and rain flooding | 10 |
| South Russell | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Bainbridge Township | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Bainbridge | A−less damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Bainbridge faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Bainbridge
Is Bainbridge at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bainbridge has lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #431 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Bainbridge flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Bainbridge since 1994, $244K in all, or 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 81% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Bainbridge in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Geauga County, 31% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Bainbridge?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bainbridge’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Bainbridge at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and Bainbridge’s rate for it is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bainbridge.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bainbridge’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.