Natural hazards · Abilene

Abilene, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Abilene comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1993. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Abilene?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Abilene to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes23%Heat waves13%Strong wind7%Ice storms5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Abilene faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 71 years in the area

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Abilene flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Abilene, from FEMA’s records.

8paid claims since 1993

$9Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 8 claims, $9K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Abilene isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Dickinson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Abilene

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Abilene itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Abilene.

Brought FEMA money into AbileneDeclared for Dickinson County only

2019

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides

$4K to the City of Abilene for repairs

2013

Snowstorm

$16K to the City of Abilene for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$101K to the City of Abilene for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $69K aid approved

Dickinson County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Abilene

Abilene and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lincolnmostly inland floodingModerate

Abilenemostly inland floodingModerate

Grantmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Abilene is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Abilene’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Abilene. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.