Natural hazards · Americus

Americus, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Americus comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1989. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Americus?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Americus to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding44%Wildfire15%Tornadoes12%Ice storms7%Cold waves5%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Americus faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Ice storms

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Americus flood?

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

1paid claims since 1989

$2Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lyon County.

Disasters that hit Americus

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AmericusDeclared for Lyon County only

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$17K to the City of Americus for repairs

2009

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

$14K to the City of Americus for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Lyon County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Americus 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 Americus’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Americus. 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.