Photo: United States Air Force · Public domainFEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Wright-Patterson AFB than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wright-Patterson AFB gets an A+ for hazard risk: among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%), then tornadoes (21%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1991.
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 Wright-Patterson AFB 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
Strong wind
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 Wright-Patterson AFB’s grade
River and rain flooding is 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wright-Patterson AFB, and Wright-Patterson AFB’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 98% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 21% (higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts).
A+ among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Wright-Patterson AFB’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $578K a year in losses across Wright-Patterson AFB: $437K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Wright-Patterson AFB flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1991
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wright-Patterson AFB, from FEMA’s records: 4.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Wright-Patterson AFB isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Greene County.The storms Wright-Patterson AFB remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Greene County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Wright-Patterson AFB itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19911 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 19971 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Greene County has had 13 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Wright-Patterson AFB after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Wright-Patterson AFB archive →Wright-Patterson AFB and its neighbors
Wright-Patterson AFB has the lowest expected damage per building of the 7 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wright-Patterson AFB | A+among the lowest damage | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Bath Township | A+less damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 18 |
| Fairborn | Aless damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 16 |
| Huber Heights | Aless damage than 93% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Beavercreek | Aless damage than 89% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Beavercreek Township | Aless damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 22 |
| Riverside | A−less damage than 78% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
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 Wright-Patterson AFB 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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 Wright-Patterson AFB
Is Wright-Patterson AFB at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wright-Patterson AFB has among the lowest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: A+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%) and tornadoes (21%). 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.
Does Wright-Patterson AFB flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Wright-Patterson AFB since 1991, $2K in all, or 4.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Wright-Patterson AFB 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 Greene County, 27% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Wright-Patterson AFB?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Wright-Patterson AFB’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Wright-Patterson AFB at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Wright-Patterson AFB’s rate for it is lower than 98% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wright-Patterson AFB.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Wright-Patterson AFB’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.