How much flood risk does Belmont County actually carry?
Belmont County lands at the 87th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Relatively Moderate" territory — a middling flood hazard by national standards — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 3.4 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Belmont County's flood-insurance compliance gap
7.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Belmont County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 122 policies against 1,557 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Belmont County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.4% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Belmont County ranks
Belmont County sits at rank 428 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 847 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 64,692 people live in Belmont County, Ohio, spread over 532.173 square miles.
Your street may differ from Belmont County's average
145 of Belmont County's 32,599 residential structures carry flood coverage of some kind, per FEMA's latest count — useful context, not a substitute for checking one parcel.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Belmont County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.