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St. Augustine Catholic Church, MinsterPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Minster · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Minster than in 70% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Minster gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns, #604 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%), then tornadoes (14%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 60%Tornadoes 14%Earthquakes 14%

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

less than 70%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#604 of 993 in Ohio
Hazard risk
B+#604 of 993
in Ohio · lower than 70% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
60% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 9 declared for Auglaize County

What stands out about Minster’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

Lower expected damage than 70% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Made safer with FEMA grants1 storm safe room built with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Minster 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

60%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

14%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Minster’s grade

River and rain flooding is 60% of the building damage FEMA expects in Minster, and Minster’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 14% (higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Minster sits
Minster
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ #604 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Minster’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding60%Tornadoes14%Earthquakes14%Everything else12%

The typical Ohio town has lower expected damage than 79% of U.S. towns; within the state, Minster has more expected damage per building than 61% of Ohio towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Minster: $1.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Minster’s 3,046 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Jackson township (4,011 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Minster flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Minster. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

Minster isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Auglaize County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1storm safe room built
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Minster

Disasters that paid out in Minster itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Minster), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds$16K to the Village of Minster for repairs
  2. 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides46 households applied for aid$25K aid approved$94K to the Village of Minster for repairs
  3. 2003Severe Storms and Flooding11 households applied for aid$23K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MinsterAuglaize County only

Auglaize 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.

Were you here?

Old photos of Minster after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Minster archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Minster faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Minster

Is Minster at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Minster has lower expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #604 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%) and tornadoes (14%). 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.

Is Minster 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 Auglaize County, 0.6% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Minster?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Minster’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 Minster?

By FEMA money that reached Minster, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (2004): 46 households applied for aid, $25K approved, and $94K to the Village of Minster for repairs.

Is Minster at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (60%), and Minster’s rate for it is lower than 72% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Minster.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Minster’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.