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William Rainey Harper Log House in the morningPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
A+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in New Concord · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, New Concord faces less hazard damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Concord gets an A+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 78%Tornadoes 8%Hail 7%

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 95%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
A+
in Ohio · lower than 95% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
78% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 14 declared for Muskingum County

What stands out about New Concord’s natural hazards

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

Lower expected damage than 95% 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 New Concord 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

78%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Wildfire Hurricanes Cold waves Landslides Lightning Heat waves
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 New Concord’s grade

River and rain flooding is 78% of the building damage FEMA expects in New Concord, and New Concord’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 8% (higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts).

Where New Concord sits
New Concord
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A+ lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding78%Tornadoes8%Hail7%Everything else7%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $436K a year in losses across New Concord: $339K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of New Concord’s 2,361 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Union township (4,265 residents) and Norwich village (87 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 New Concord flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

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

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to New Concord

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

  1. 2012Severe Storms and Straight-line Winds$11K to the Village of New Concord for repairs
  2. 2004Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides4 households applied for aid$7K aid approved$3K to the Village of New Concord for repairs
  3. 2004Severe Storms and Flooding6 households applied for aid$12K aid approved$5K to the Village of New Concord for repairs
  4. 2003Severe Winter Storm and Record/near Record Snow$4K to the Village of New Concord for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in New ConcordMuskingum County only

Muskingum County has had 14 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the New Concord archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what New Concord 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 ↗
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 New Concord

Is New Concord at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, New Concord has lower expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (78%) and tornadoes (8%). 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 New Concord 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 Muskingum County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in New Concord?

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

By FEMA money that reached New Concord, Severe Storms and Flooding (2004): 6 households applied for aid, $12K approved, and $5K to the Village of New Concord for repairs.

Is New Concord at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (78%), and New Concord’s rate for it is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in New Concord.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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