Drought Risk in Ohio
All Ohio counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 55 of 88 Ohio counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Pickaway County carries the state's highest drought score at 83.4, with $1M in expected annual drought losses.
No Ohio county reaches the High band for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $11M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pickaway County | Medium | 3.70 / yr | $1M | |
| 2 | Highland County | Medium | 3.99 / yr | $826K | |
| 3 | Fairfield County | Medium | 3.74 / yr | $982K | |
| 4 | Fulton County | Medium | 1.36 / yr | $826K | |
| 5 | Ross County | Medium | 2.79 / yr | $460K | |
| 6 | Muskingum County | Medium | 5.60 / yr | $452K | |
| 7 | Clinton County | Medium | 2.16 / yr | $476K | |
| 8 | Licking County | Medium | 1.94 / yr | $493K | |
| 9 | Fayette County | Medium | 3.12 / yr | $451K | |
| 10 | Tuscarawas County | Medium | 3.19 / yr | $307K | |
| 11 | Perry County | Medium | 4.89 / yr | $364K | |
| 12 | Guernsey County | Low | 5.97 / yr | $256K | |
| 13 | Washington County | Low | 4.03 / yr | $293K | |
| 14 | Harrison County | Low | 6.16 / yr | $226K | |
| 15 | Franklin County | Low | 1.59 / yr | $244K | |
| 16 | Belmont County | Low | 6.02 / yr | $189K | |
| 17 | Pike County | Low | 3.45 / yr | $150K | |
| 18 | Morgan County | Low | 6.10 / yr | $182K | |
| 19 | Clark County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $164K | |
| 20 | Brown County | Low | 2.25 / yr | $140K | |
| 21 | Monroe County | Low | 6.67 / yr | $127K | |
| 22 | Champaign County | Low | 0.55 / yr | $176K | |
| 23 | Meigs County | Low | 5.35 / yr | $92K | |
| 24 | Warren County | Low | 1.97 / yr | $201K | |
| 25 | Greene County | Low | 0.65 / yr | $140K | |
| 26 | Butler County | Low | 1.53 / yr | $124K | |
| 27 | Williams County | Low | 0.97 / yr | $90K | |
| 28 | Carroll County | Low | 2.23 / yr | $89K | |
| 29 | Madison County | Low | 1.07 / yr | $128K | |
| 30 | Athens County | Low | 5.33 / yr | $89K | |
| 31 | Noble County | Low | 5.95 / yr | $70K | |
| 32 | Henry County | Low | 0.27 / yr | $87K | |
| 33 | Vinton County | Low | 6.10 / yr | $50K | |
| 34 | Adams County | Low | 2.38 / yr | $60K | |
| 35 | Lucas County | Low | 0.18 / yr | $55K | |
| 36 | Clermont County | Low | 2.28 / yr | $64K | |
| 37 | Union County | Low | 0.34 / yr | $78K | |
| 38 | Stark County | Low | 0.12 / yr | $41K | |
| 39 | Hocking County | Low | 4.71 / yr | $31K | |
| 40 | Miami County | Low | 0.22 / yr | $42K | |
| 41 | Hamilton County | Low | 2.28 / yr | $31K | |
| 42 | Jefferson County | Low | 3.43 / yr | $27K | |
| 43 | Gallia County | Low | 2.15 / yr | $23K | |
| 44 | Preble County | Very Low | 0.38 / yr | $27K | |
| 45 | Holmes County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $12K | |
| 46 | Jackson County | Very Low | 3.53 / yr | $15K | |
| 47 | Coshocton County | Very Low | 0.50 / yr | $14K | |
| 48 | Scioto County | Very Low | 1.70 / yr | $19K | |
| 49 | Defiance County | Very Low | 0.41 / yr | $21K | |
| 50 | Logan County | Very Low | 0.33 / yr | $18K | |
| 51 | Montgomery County | Very Low | 0.35 / yr | $16K | |
| 52 | Lawrence County | Very Low | 1.38 / yr | $3K | |
| 53 | Delaware County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $732 | |
| 54 | Wayne County | Very Low | 0.10 / yr | $336 | |
| 55 | Shelby County | Very Low | 0.11 / yr | $5 |
55 Ohio counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Ohio counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Ohio county has the highest drought risk?
Pickaway County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Ohio at 83.4 (Medium), with $1M in expected annual losses and about 3.70 events per year.
How many Ohio counties face significant drought risk?
55 Ohio counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.