Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFEMA puts Scioto Township’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 61% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Scioto Township gets a B for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, #719 of 993 in Ohio. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%). Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1978.
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 Scioto 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 Scioto Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 85% of the building damage FEMA expects in Scioto Township, and Scioto Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 6% (higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts).
B #719 of 993 in Ohio; lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Scioto Township’s residents live in 11 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, Scioto Township has more expected damage per building than 72% of Ohio towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $8.4M a year in losses across Scioto Township: $6.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Scioto Township flood? Rarely: 6 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Scioto Township, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 90% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Scioto 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: Ross County.The storms Scioto Township remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Ross County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Scioto Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20002 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19781 flood claims paidThe year of Blizzards and Snowstorms, declared for Ross County
- 19791 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Ross County has had 13 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 Scioto Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Scioto Township archive →Scioto Township and its neighbors
Scioto Township is 3rd of the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Chillicothe | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Scioto Township | Bless damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 6 |
| Twin Township | Bless damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Springfield Township | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Huntington Township | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
| Liberty Township | Cmore damage than 72% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Franklin Township | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Massieville | — | 642 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 Scioto 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 Scioto Township
Is Scioto Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Scioto Township has lower expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: B for hazard risk, #719 of 993 in Ohio. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (85%) and tornadoes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Scioto Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 6 claims in Scioto Township since 1978, $18K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 90% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Scioto 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 Ross County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Scioto Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Scioto Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Scioto Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (85%), and Scioto Township’s rate for it is higher than 62% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Scioto Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Scioto 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.