Ohio's risk of wildfires is minimal
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With wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles, you might wonder about the local risk of such a catastrophic event.
Threat level: As you may have guessed, the chances of a major wildfire happening in Ohio are rather slim.
- The state's forestry protection area is concentrated mostly in the southern and eastern portions of rural Ohio and doesn't include Cuyahoga County.
The big picture: When natural disasters like fires and flooding strike, Americans who live in affected states could see insurance rates increase — or lose coverage entirely.
- First Street Foundation data from 2023 shows that less than 1% of properties in Ohio are at risk of an insurance rate increase due to a potential wildfire.
Zoom in: In Northeast Ohio, 0% of homes are at risk of an increase.
Yes, but: The state does face other potential natural disasters, as 8% of Ohio properties are at risk of an insurance rate increase due to flooding.
- That includes 5.2% of Cuyahoga County homeowners.
Zoom out: While wildfires aren't an issue locally, the devastation is mounting in the LA area.
- As of Thursday, rapidly spreading wildfires tearing through Los Angeles County killed at least five people, destroyed at least 2,000 structures and forced tens of thousands to evacuate their homes.
- The state's National Guard has been deployed.