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Jackson east of High, West UnityPhoto: Nyttend · Public domain
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in West Unity · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in West Unity than in 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Unity gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then tornadoes (22%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 59%Tornadoes 22%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 82%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 82% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
59% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
0
of 5 declared for Williams County
By hazard

What West Unity 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

59%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

22%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes 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 West Unity’s grade

River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Unity, and West Unity’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 22%, at a rate in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.

Where West Unity sits
West Unity
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding59%Tornadoes22%Hail7%Everything else12%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $573K a year in losses across West Unity: $423K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of West Unity’s 1,763 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 West Unity flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in West Unity. 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

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

Insurance rates: Williams County.
Disasters

The storms West Unity remembers

None of the 5 disasters declared for Williams County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching West Unity itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in West UnityWilliams County only

Williams County has had 5 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.

Be ready

Get ready for what West Unity 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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 West Unity

Is West Unity at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Unity has lower expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and tornadoes (22%). 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 West Unity 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 Williams County, 0.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in West Unity?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Unity’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

Is West Unity at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and West Unity’s rate for it is lower than 81% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Unity.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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