Cold Wave Risk in Ohio
All Ohio counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 88 of 88 Ohio counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Cuyahoga County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 99.7, with $50M in expected annual cold wave losses.
7 Ohio counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $226M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Cold Wave
| # | County | Cold Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuyahoga County | Very High | 3.68 / yr | $50M | |
| 2 | Franklin County | Very High | 3.63 / yr | $43M | |
| 3 | Hamilton County | High | 2.21 / yr | $16M | |
| 4 | Butler County | High | 3.16 / yr | $16M | |
| 5 | Montgomery County | High | 4.16 / yr | $11M | |
| 6 | Lucas County | High | 4.37 / yr | $8M | |
| 7 | Greene County | High | 3.95 / yr | $10M | |
| 8 | Marion County | Medium | 4.37 / yr | $5M | |
| 9 | Lorain County | Medium | 4.11 / yr | $6M | |
| 10 | Stark County | Medium | 3.95 / yr | $5M | |
| 11 | Clermont County | Medium | 1.95 / yr | $5M | |
| 12 | Warren County | Medium | 3.26 / yr | $7M | |
| 13 | Summit County | Medium | 3.95 / yr | $3M | |
| 14 | Clark County | Medium | 4.37 / yr | $2M | |
| 15 | Lake County | Low | 3.00 / yr | $2M | |
| 16 | Knox County | Low | 4.16 / yr | $1M | |
| 17 | Miami County | Low | 4.74 / yr | $2M | |
| 18 | Crawford County | Low | 4.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 19 | Logan County | Low | 4.95 / yr | $1M | |
| 20 | Wayne County | Low | 4.11 / yr | $947K | |
| 21 | Wood County | Low | 4.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | Seneca County | Low | 4.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 23 | Huron County | Low | 4.26 / yr | $940K | |
| 24 | Erie County | Low | 4.26 / yr | $874K | |
| 25 | Sandusky County | Low | 4.37 / yr | $953K | |
| 26 | Hancock County | Low | 4.42 / yr | $1M | |
| 27 | Preble County | Low | 4.26 / yr | $913K | |
| 28 | Williams County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $761K | |
| 29 | Brown County | Low | 1.84 / yr | $659K | |
| 30 | Medina County | Low | 4.05 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Holmes County | Low | 4.11 / yr | $436K | |
| 32 | Shelby County | Low | 4.89 / yr | $724K | |
| 33 | Hardin County | Low | 4.95 / yr | $981K | |
| 34 | Richland County | Low | 4.26 / yr | $766K | |
| 35 | Portage County | Low | 3.68 / yr | $875K | |
| 36 | Ashland County | Low | 4.21 / yr | $705K | |
| 37 | Delaware County | Low | 4.53 / yr | $1M | |
| 38 | Fulton County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $770K | |
| 39 | Allen County | Low | 3.47 / yr | $633K | |
| 40 | Auglaize County | Low | 4.89 / yr | $710K | |
| 41 | Champaign County | Low | 4.74 / yr | $741K | |
| 42 | Clinton County | Low | 3.42 / yr | $656K | |
| 43 | Fairfield County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $758K | |
| 44 | Licking County | Low | 3.63 / yr | $704K | |
| 45 | Wyandot County | Low | 4.37 / yr | $718K | |
| 46 | Ottawa County | Low | 4.21 / yr | $562K | |
| 47 | Ashtabula County | Low | 3.15 / yr | $439K | |
| 48 | Darke County | Low | 4.79 / yr | $604K | |
| 49 | Trumbull County | Low | 3.68 / yr | $416K | |
| 50 | Highland County | Low | 2.47 / yr | $479K | |
| 51 | Defiance County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $544K | |
| 52 | Mahoning County | Low | 3.79 / yr | $375K | |
| 53 | Mercer County | Low | 4.84 / yr | $759K | |
| 54 | Henry County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $482K | |
| 55 | Madison County | Low | 4.11 / yr | $500K | |
| 56 | Tuscarawas County | Low | 2.89 / yr | $288K | |
| 57 | Putnam County | Low | 3.42 / yr | $475K | |
| 58 | Muskingum County | Low | 2.79 / yr | $349K | |
| 59 | Ross County | Low | 2.63 / yr | $322K | |
| 60 | Pickaway County | Low | 3.16 / yr | $372K | |
| 61 | Geauga County | Very Low | 3.11 / yr | $272K | |
| 62 | Coshocton County | Very Low | 2.79 / yr | $196K | |
| 63 | Van Wert County | Very Low | 3.53 / yr | $340K | |
| 64 | Scioto County | Very Low | 1.37 / yr | $248K | |
| 65 | Fayette County | Very Low | 3.47 / yr | $285K | |
| 66 | Union County | Very Low | 4.79 / yr | $467K | |
| 67 | Paulding County | Very Low | 3.37 / yr | $268K | |
| 68 | Adams County | Very Low | 1.37 / yr | $216K | |
| 69 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 0.89 / yr | $203K | |
| 70 | Athens County | Very Low | 1.53 / yr | $192K | |
| 71 | Columbiana County | Very Low | 3.05 / yr | $168K | |
| 72 | Meigs County | Very Low | 1.11 / yr | $125K | |
| 73 | Monroe County | Very Low | 2.53 / yr | $128K | |
| 74 | Morrow County | Very Low | 4.21 / yr | $188K | |
| 75 | Washington County | Very Low | 1.68 / yr | $160K | |
| 76 | Hocking County | Very Low | 2.63 / yr | $142K | |
| 77 | Noble County | Very Low | 2.63 / yr | $116K | |
| 78 | Jackson County | Very Low | 1.00 / yr | $97K | |
| 79 | Guernsey County | Very Low | 2.79 / yr | $101K | |
| 80 | Gallia County | Very Low | 0.89 / yr | $92K | |
| 81 | Pike County | Very Low | 1.42 / yr | $94K | |
| 82 | Carroll County | Very Low | 3.00 / yr | $85K | |
| 83 | Morgan County | Very Low | 1.84 / yr | $84K | |
| 84 | Perry County | Very Low | 2.00 / yr | $78K | |
| 85 | Vinton County | Very Low | 1.47 / yr | $57K | |
| 86 | Belmont County | Very Low | 2.63 / yr | $56K | |
| 87 | Jefferson County | Very Low | 2.84 / yr | $45K | |
| 88 | Harrison County | Very Low | 2.84 / yr | $40K |
88 Ohio counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Ohio counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Ohio county has the highest cold wave risk?
Cuyahoga County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Ohio at 99.7 (Very High), with $50M in expected annual losses and about 3.68 events per year.
How many Ohio counties face significant cold wave risk?
88 Ohio counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 7 of them are rated High or Very High.