Photo: Nyttend · Public domainLess hazard damage per building is expected in Mount Orab than in 81% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mount Orab gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns, #454 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%), then tornadoes (11%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 stands out about Mount Orab’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Mount Orab 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
Earthquakes
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 Mount Orab’s grade
River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mount Orab, and Mount Orab’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 11% (higher than 68% of U.S. census tracts).
A− #454 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Mount Orab’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, Mount Orab has less expected damage per building than 54% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.2M a year in losses across Mount Orab: $825K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Mount Orab flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Mount Orab. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Mount Orab isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Brown County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Mount Orab
Disasters that paid out in Mount Orab itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Village of Mount Orab), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2008Severe Wind Storm Associated with Tropical Depression Ike$38K to the Village of Mount Orab for repairs
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$19K to the Village of Mount Orab for repairs
- 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$7K to the Village of Mount Orab for repairs
Brown County has had 16 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 Mount Orab after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mount Orab archive →Mount Orab and its neighbors
Mount Orab has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Orab | A−less damage than 81% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Pike Township | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Washington Township | B−less damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Mount Orab 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Mount Orab
Is Mount Orab at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mount Orab has lower expected damage per building than 81% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #454 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and tornadoes (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Mount Orab 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 Brown County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Mount Orab?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Mount Orab’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 Mount Orab?
By FEMA money that reached Mount Orab, Severe Wind Storm Associated with Tropical Depression Ike (2008): $38K to the Village of Mount Orab for repairs.
Is Mount Orab at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and Mount Orab’s rate for it is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mount Orab.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mount Orab’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.