TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
BoltonGood morning
Natural hazards · Bolton

Bolton, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bolton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Bolton?

78
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bolton to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding31%Tornadoes27%Cold waves18%Wildfire7%Everything else17%
By hazard

What Bolton faces

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 15 years in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Bolton flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Bolton.

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Bolton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cowley County.
Disasters that hit Bolton

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BoltonDeclared for Cowley County only
2019

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

$148K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2018

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$28K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$10K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2015

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

$63K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2013

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

$24K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2009

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

$36K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$6K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$62K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$34K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$20K to the Township of Bolton for repairs
Cowley County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Bolton

Bolton and the towns around it

Creswell: High, mostly tornadoesArkansas City: Moderate, mostly tornadoesSilverdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingWalton: High, mostly inland floodingBeaver: High, mostly inland floodingPleasant Valley: High, mostly inland floodingParkerfield: High, mostly inland floodingSpring Creek: Very high, mostly inland floodingLiberty: Very high, mostly inland floodingGuelph: High, mostly inland floodingValverde: High, mostly inland floodingVernon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBolton: High, mostly inland flooding BoltonCreswellArkansas CitySilverdaleWaltonBeaver
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Silverdalemostly inland floodingVery high
Boltonmostly inland floodingHigh
Beavermostly inland floodingHigh
Creswellmostly tornadoesHigh
Waltonmostly inland floodingHigh
Arkansas Citymostly tornadoesModerate
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. Bolton 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 Bolton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Bolton. 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.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bolton, KSCowley CountyView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map

Local begins with a boundary.

See what belongs to your selected town.

Loading boundary…

Bolton is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
Open detailed map