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Helena, Ohio
Inside Helena's city limits, a shallow water table limits basements on 91% of mapped land, the 2nd-highest of 8 cities in Sandusky County. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 45%, the 3rd-highest of 8 cities in Sandusky County.
That water-table share is above Sandusky County's 80%. FEMA's flood data list no flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 43435 overlapping the city. Of its 104 homes, 86% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1939 or earlier.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Sandusky County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Basement waterproofing in Helena
Basement waterproofing in Helena: a shallow water table limits basements on 91% of Helena's mapped land, more than in 79% of Ohio cities.
About 100 of Helena's 104 homes are detached houses.
Soil under Helena city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 44.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 91.0% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.0% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.1% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 13.0% |
| Mapped soil | 186 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Hoytville | 31% | 99% |
| Haskins | 25% | n/a |
| Mermill | 18% | n/a |
| Millsdale | 14% | n/a |
| Nappanee | 9% | n/a |
| Lenawee | 1% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.1% by land area here, and 13% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 45% of the mapped land.
On 91% of Helena's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Sandusky County
0% of Sandusky County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Helena. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43435 | 100% | 0 | $0 |
Homes in Helena
| Housing units | 104 |
| Median year built | 1939 or earlier |
| Built before 1980 | 86% |
| Built 2000 or later | 11% |
| Owner-occupied | 85% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $138,200 |
| Single-family detached | 97% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibsonburg | 4 mi | 30% | 47% |
| Burgoon | 5 mi | 61% | 64% |
| Lindsey | 7 mi | 3% | 91% |
| Bettsville | 7 mi | 32% | 59% |
| Bradner | 8 mi | 6% | 73% |
| Woodville | 9 mi | 47% | 81% |
| Risingsun | 9 mi | 21% | 55% |
| Elmore | 9 mi | 4% | 76% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status