Photo: Nyttend · Public domainOn FEMA’s figures, Jefferson Township faces less hazard damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jefferson Township gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #386 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%). Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1998.
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 Jefferson Township 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
Tornadoes
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 Jefferson Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 87% of the building damage FEMA expects in Jefferson Township, and Jefferson Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 5% (higher than 50% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #386 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Jefferson Township’s residents live in 3 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, Jefferson Township has less expected damage per building than 61% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $675K a year in losses across Jefferson Township: $531K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Jefferson Township flood? Sometimes: 14 flood claims since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Jefferson Township, from FEMA’s records: 8.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Jefferson Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jackson County.The storms Jefferson Township remembers
None of the 12 disasters declared for Jackson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Jefferson Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20013 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19982 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes, declared for Jackson County
- 20002 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Jackson County
Jackson County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Jefferson Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Jefferson Township archive →Jefferson Township and its neighbors
Jefferson Township is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Township | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Franklin Township | A−less damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Jefferson Township | A−less damage than 84% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| Hamilton Township | — | 409 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Washington Township | — | 237 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Greenfield Township | — | 110 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 Jefferson Township 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.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- 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 Jefferson Township
Is Jefferson Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Jefferson Township has lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #386 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (87%) and tornadoes (5%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Jefferson Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 14 claims in Jefferson Township since 1998, $272K in all, or 8.8 per 1,000 homes, more than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Jefferson Township 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 Jackson County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Jefferson Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Jefferson Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Jefferson Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (87%), and Jefferson Township’s rate for it is lower than 59% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Jefferson Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Jefferson Township’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.