Water damage restoration · Newark, Ohio
Water damage restoration in Newark, OH
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Newark-area ZIPs: 185 flood claims since 1978[1]; 71% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Newark, in Licking County — ZIP 43055, counts 51,473 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Newark water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 51,473[3]+3.0% since 2020
- County
- Licking[3]
- Land area
- 21.0 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 185 since 1978[1]$933,731 paid across 132 claims · ZIP 43055
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 24[5]2016–2025 · latest Jul 17, 2025
- Winter-storm & freeze days, licking zone
- 57[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Licking Co.
- 4[6]of 13 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 71%[2]the 5th-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 44%[2]2020–2024
What Newark's numbers say about water damage
Newark counts 51,473 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack 3.0% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 21.0 square miles holding 2,451 residents per square mile, the 10th densest of the suburbs here; it sits entirely in Licking County, with ZIP code 43055[4].
Newark mixes 3% of homes built since 2010 and 71% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
The entire city sits in ZIP code 43055[7].
The closest tracked neighbours are Reynoldsburg (20.7 mi W), Pickerington (22.0 mi SW) and Gahanna (24.2 mi W)[4].
185 flood-insurance claims have come from Newark-area ZIP codes (43055) since 1978, and $933,731 has been paid on them (about $7,074 per paid claim)[1]. 1979 was the worst year, with 67 claims. That is the 2nd-most of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Reynoldsburg (197), Pickerington (27), and Gahanna (68). Outside water is a real part of the picture here. Of the 177 claims rated in a flood zone, 123 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 53 outside them (zones B, C or X), with 1 in undetermined zone D[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Newark-area flood claims cluster in March (30), June (23), and September (66) — 119 of 185 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Newark, weather observers filed 24 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (8 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 4 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (DR-1580, 2004)[6]. Nearby: Reynoldsburg (51), Pickerington (44), and Gahanna (58).
71% of Newark's 21,755 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover (Reynoldsburg (43%), Pickerington (17%), and Gahanna (42%)). Aging supply lines and valves are the usual hidden-leak suspects in houses that old.
Freeze days in the licking zone: 57 in 2016–2025, latest Dec 1, 2025[5]. Nearby: Reynoldsburg (68), Pickerington (55), and Gahanna (68).
44% of Newark households rent[2]: tenants should report leaks to the landlord in writing, with photos.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Newark records the 2nd-most NFIP flood claims (185)[1], the 2nd-lowest median home value ($192,300)[2], the 2nd-highest renter share (44%)[2], and the 3rd-fewest flood reports nearby (24, tied with Delaware)[5].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Leaked water spreads outward and wicks up drywall the longer it runs.
Newark storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Newark, 2016–2025: 8 flash-flood reports and 16 flood reports[5]. Peak: 67% in February, March, and July. Busiest year 2020 (7); 2 of 10 years had none. Busiest month March 2020 (5). Latest: flood report, Jul 17, 2025, 9.1 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Mar | 3 | 2 | – | 5 |
| Apr | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| May | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Jun | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Jul | 4 | 5 | – | 9 |
| Aug | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Sep | 1 | – | – | 1 |
water damage help in Newark: what to do next
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Newark cover ZIP code 43055.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Newark homes by building type
With 67%[2] of homes detached, most Newark water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is 3–4 units: 1,868 of 21,755 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 14,558 | 66.9% | ±546 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 888 | 4.1% | ±220 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 765 | 3.5% | ±213 |
| 3–4 units | 1,868 | 8.6% | ±284 |
| 5–9 units | 1,803 | 8.3% | ±262 |
| 10–19 units | 602 | 2.8% | ±242 |
| 20–49 units | 419 | 1.9% | ±169 |
| 50 or more units | 714 | 3.3% | ±221 |
| Mobile home | 138 | 0.6% | ±107 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Newark numbers behind this page
| Measure | Newark | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 185 | 68 | 117 more |
| Built before 1980 | 71% | 42% | 29 pts higher |
| Renter-occupied | 44% | 29% | 15 pts higher |
| Median home value | $192,300 | $339,600 | 43% lower |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 24 | 35 | 11 fewer |
| Owner-occupied | 56% | 71% | 15 pts lower |
| Median year built | 1963 | 1985 | 22 years older |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Columbus-area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Freeze days | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark | 185 | 24 | 57 | 71% | 44% |
| Reynoldsburg 20.7 mi | 197 | 51 | 68 | 43% | 38% |
| Pickerington 22.0 mi | 27 | 44 | 55 | 17% | 23% |
| Gahanna 24.2 mi | 68 | 58 | 68 | 42% | 29% |
| Whitehall 25.3 mi | 102 | 68 | 68 | 79% | 60% |
| Lancaster 25.8 mi | 158 | 25 | 55 | 71% | 41% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43055 | 185 | $933,731 | 1979 (67) | 53 of 177 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| January | 21 |
| February | 2 |
| March | 30 |
| April | 9 |
| June | 23 |
| July | 9 |
| August | 22 |
| September | 66 |
| November | 2 |
| December | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2025 | Flood | 9.1 mi |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Flood | 2.6 mi |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Flash Flood | 7.1 mi |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Flash Flood | 7.6 mi |
| May 6, 2022 | Flood | 8.8 mi |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Flood | 6.1 mi |
| Feb 17, 2022 | Flood | 9.1 mi |
| Apr 29, 2021 | Flood | 1.6 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Newark's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 43055 | 99% | 18% |
water damage questions from Newark homeowners
Do I need flood insurance in Newark?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Newark-area ZIPs have 29 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Newark ZIP codes do these crews cover?
43055[7], in Licking County. Nearby pages: Reynoldsburg (20.7 mi), Pickerington (22.0 mi), and Gahanna (24.2 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Newark?
Jul 17, 2025: a flood report 9.1 miles from the city center[5].
A lot of Newark homes predate 1980 — what does that mean for plumbing fixtures and water heater work?
71% of Newark's housing units were built before 1980, 46.6% before 1960[2] — the 5th-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover. Older supply lines and original shut-off valves are common failure points — know where your main shut-off is before you need it.
I rent in Newark. Who arranges the repair?
44% of occupied Newark homes are rented[2], the 2nd-highest share of the 15 Columbus-area suburbs we cover. Tell your landlord or property manager in writing first; your lease says who arranges repairs.
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.