Photo: Niagara · CC BY-SA 3.0Storms, floods and disasters in Painesville Township
Painesville Township isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Painesville Township yet. Flood insurance has paid 59 claims here since 1978.
What Painesville 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
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.
Does Painesville Township flood? Sometimes: 59 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Painesville Township, from FEMA’s records.
- The Late winter storms2 claims · $74K
Painesville 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: Lake County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Painesville Township
Disasters that paid out in Painesville Township itself (aid to households or repair grants to Painesville Township), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2008Record Snow and Near Record Snow$22K to Painesville Township for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2006Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding1,292 households applied for aid$2.6M aid approved$48K to Painesville Township for repairs8 flood claims 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 Painesville Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Painesville Township archive →Painesville Township and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry Township | A+less damage than 97% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Mentor | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 33 |
| Painesville | A−less damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 132 |
| Concord Township | B+less damage than 71% | river and rain flooding | 37 |
| Fairport Harbor | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 14 |
| 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 Painesville 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.
- 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 Painesville Township
Does Painesville Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 59 claims in Painesville Township since 1978, $1.3M in all. The most claims came from Late winter storms (2).
Is Painesville 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 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 Painesville Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Painesville Township’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 Painesville Township?
By FEMA money that reached Painesville Township, Severe Storms, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding (2006): 1,292 households applied for aid, $2.6M approved, and $48K to Painesville Township for repairs. By flood claims, Late winter storms: 2 paid, $74K.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Painesville Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Painesville 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.