Natural hazards · Centralia

Centralia, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Centralia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1983. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Centralia?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Centralia to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding40%Tornadoes20%Wildfire13%Hail8%Strong wind5%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Centralia 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

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Wildfire

13% of expected damage

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

Hail

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Centralia flood?

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

3paid claims since 1983

$31Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19832026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Nemaha County.

Disasters that hit Centralia

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CentraliaDeclared for Nemaha County only

2021

Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds

$4K to the City of Centralia for repairs

2015

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

$5K to the City of Centralia for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$12K to the City of Centralia for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$17K to the City of Centralia for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$7K to the City of Centralia for repairs

Nemaha County has had 14 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. Centralia 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 Centralia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Centralia. 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.