Photo: Pbalson8204 at English Wikipedia · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, Fairport Harbor faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fairport Harbor gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns, #866 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 2005.
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 Fairport Harbor 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 Fairport Harbor’s grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in Fairport Harbor, and Fairport Harbor’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Winter storms add 1%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #866 of 993 in Ohio; higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Fairport Harbor’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Fairport Harbor has more expected damage per building than 87% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $839K a year in losses across Fairport Harbor: $763K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Fairport Harbor flood? Sometimes: 14 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fairport Harbor, from FEMA’s records: 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Fairport Harbor isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lake County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Fairport Harbor
Disasters that paid out in Fairport Harbor itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Fairport Harbor), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$7K to the Village of Fairport Harbor for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2006Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding95 households applied for aid$126K aid approved$51K to the Village of Fairport Harbor for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
Lake County has had 11 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Fairport Harbor after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Fairport Harbor archive →Fairport Harbor and its neighbors
Fairport Harbor is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painesville | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 132 |
| Fairport Harbor | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Painesville Township | — | not graded yet | |
| Grand River | — | 625 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Fairport Harbor 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 Fairport Harbor
Is Fairport Harbor at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Fairport Harbor has higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #866 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Fairport Harbor flood?
Flood insurance has paid 14 claims in Fairport Harbor since 2005, $293K in all, or 9.1 per 1,000 homes, more than 72% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Fairport Harbor 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 Lake County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Fairport Harbor?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fairport Harbor’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Fairport Harbor?
By FEMA money that reached Fairport Harbor, Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding (2006): 95 households applied for aid, $126K approved, and $51K to the Village of Fairport Harbor for repairs.
Is Fairport Harbor at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and Fairport Harbor’s rate for it is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fairport Harbor.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Fairport Harbor’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.