• Home insurance premiums are rising across the U.S., including a 23% increase in Ohio between 2021 and 2024.
• The rise in tornadoes and other severe weather events in Ohio contributes to these increasing insurance costs.
• Homeowners can mitigate rising costs by shopping for different coverage options and making preventative home improvements.

More tornadoes and severe weather may translate to pricier home insurance for central Ohioans —but there are things homeowners can do to curb rising costs.

Across the United States, annual insurance premiums for typical homeowners increased by an average of $648, or 24%, from 2021 through 2024, according to a report released in April by the Consumer Federation of America, a national nonprofit established in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, advocacy and education. In Ohio, premiums increased 23% in that same time period while in Columbus they rose by 16%, the report shows.

In large part, the rise was driven by more frequent storms doing more damage throughout the country and not just in areas often hit by hurricanes or wildfires, said Sharon Cornelissen, director of housing at the Consumer Federation of America. And while it may appear that worse weather has spared some states, Cornelissen said that won’t always be the case.

“Florida is just the canary in the coal mine. Price pressures continue to rise and we’re seeing more and more disasters happening all over the country,” Cornelissen said. “No state is a climate haven. There is no such thing.”

In 2024 alone, Ohio saw 82 tornadoes, which put the state at 10th in the nation for the most twisters that year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The year’s total was the highest number of tornadoes Ohio has seen since at least 1950, the earliest year for which data exists on the NOAA website.

A number of tornadoes touched down in central Ohio and in the Indian Lake area about 75 miles north of Columbus in March 2024. Last year’s twisters came five years after a 2019 tornado leveled homes across the City of Dayton and several of its suburbs.

The tornadoes, coupled with damaging rain, flooding and hail can all drive up the price of coverage as insurers are are forced to pay for more repairs or entire home replacements, said Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications at the Pennsylvania-based Insurance Information Institute.

In fact, insured losses from U.S. natural disasters exceeded $100 billion in 2024 for the third time in at least four years, he said.

“If you’re in kind of the same category as tornado alley, that’s a lot of activity… if it was not a historic level of tornadoes, it was pretty close,” Friedlander said of Ohio in 2024. “When you’re seeing a large volume of loss like that, insurers are going to take that into account when they’re determining rates.”

Central Ohioans who have seen their insurance costs rise more than they can afford should shop around for coverage, Friedlander said. Ohio, which is home to Nationwide Insurance and Grange in Columbus and Progressive in the northeast part of the state, has a strong insurance market and plenty of local and national options, Friedlander said.

Even if homeowners can afford their plan’s price increase, Friedlander said they should check in with an agent every year to ensure their policy still has an adequate level of coverage to cover the total loss of a house.

For homeowners who want to get even more proactive, Friedlander said some insurance companies will also work with clients to take preventative measures and potentially lower their insurance costs.

Roofs and windows, for example, are one of the most vulnerable parts of homes in the path of strong winds or tornadoes, Friedlander said.

But, Friedlander said homeowners can have the connections between the walls and roof of their houses strengthened so they don’t get blown away as easily. Upgrading windows with stronger glass, a common practice in areas where hurricanes are more likely, could also be a way to lower the cost of home insurance, Friedlander said.

Reinforcing a roof or replacing windows, however, can be costly and not an expense every homeowner can easily afford, Cornelissen said.

Instead, Cornelissen suggested states consider creating grant programs to help fund such home improvements or explore the idea of offering zero interest loans to homeowners who are interested in fortifying their roofs and windows. There also needs to be more information made public on why insurers are increasing premiums or denying coverage to some homeowners so that researchers can asses what’s going on.

If nothing is done, Cornelissen argued that rising insurance prices will prove to be unsustainable for most homeowners in the long run.

“This will price more people out of homeownership,” Cornelissen said. “Pretty much no ZIP code is escaping this fate… This is a call to action.”

Dispatch investigative reporter Max Filby can be reached by email at mfilby@dispatch.com. Find him on X at the handle @MaxFilby or on Facebook at @ReporterMaxFilby.

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY NETWORK

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft today. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons is in Santa Clara visiting with the team.

The 49ers are widely expected to focus on the trenches in next week’s draft. The defensive line lost several key contributors this offseason. Meanwhile, the offensive line remains an area in need of upgrades, particularly with the need to identify an eventual successor to veteran left tackle Trent Williams.

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Simmons (6-5, 317) played in 32 collegiate games over three seasons, transferring from San Diego State to Ohio State in 2023, per Sports Reference. However, his 2024 campaign was cut short due to a season-ending knee injury in mid-October. The 49ers will likely gather more information on his recovery progress during today’s visit.

Simmons ranks 18th on Pro Football Focus’ big board and is the third-ranked offensive tackle. Despite logging only 306 snaps in 2024, he earned an impressive 82.0 pass-blocking grade and a career-best 74.4 overall grade. He allowed just one pressure and did not surrender a sack all season.

General manager John Lynch also met with Simmons during the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

James Pearce Jr. also visiting

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. is also visiting the 49ers today.

The team previously met with Pearce at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Pearce (6-5, 245) has recorded 19.5 career sacks over three seasons, including 17.5 in the past two years. In 2024, he tallied 38 tackles (13 for a loss), 7.5 sacks, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble in 13 games, per Sports Reference.

Pearce ranks 23rd on Pro Football Focus’ big board and is the fourth-ranked edge defender. He earned an 87.1 or better defensive grade from Pro Football Focus in each of the past two seasons. His 10 sacks in 2023 helped him notch a 91.9 pass-rush grade, which dipped slightly to a still-respectable 89.4 mark in 2024.

Additional visits

Rapoport also reports that Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is visiting with the 49ers today. Additionally, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes that Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant is in Santa Clara for a pre-draft visit.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart is also visiting with the 49ers.

All three visits had been previously reported.

• Twelve Ohio State University international students have had their visas revoked, an increase from the initial five reported earlier this month.
• At least 28 international students at Ohio colleges and universities have had their visas revoked since late March.

The number of Ohio State University international students with revoked student visas is now up to 12, the university confirmed April 15.

Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said the not all of the affected students are currently in the U.S., though their travels aren’t necessarily related to deportation or self-deportation.

“We don’t believe any have been deported,” Johnson said.

The Dispatch first reported April 4 that the Trump administration had revoked five students’ visas. The number has increased three times since then.

Ohio State President Ted Carter said in a recent campuswide email that the university has been in contact with the affected students. Multiple university offices, including Student Legal Services, are coordinating to assist each of the students, he said.

Carter added that university officials were “not formally notified of these actions by the government, nor have we received any information about why the students’ visas were revoked.”

At least 28 international students at Ohio colleges and universities have had their visas revoked since late March, according to Inside Higher Ed.

The Trump administration has revoked hundreds international student visas nationwide in the last several weeks. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in March that there is no right to a student visa, describing them as a privilege that can be revoked, especially if the students break laws of any kind. Rubio said these visas are being revoked “every day.”

Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.