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Natural hazards · Creswell

Creswell, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Creswell comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1981. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Creswell?

66
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Creswell to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes32%Inland flooding25%Cold waves21%Heat waves6%Strong wind5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Creswell faces

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

Tornadoes

32% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 35 years in the area

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

21% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Creswell flood?

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

17paid claims since 1981
$206Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19812026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Creswell 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 Creswell

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CreswellDeclared for Cowley County only
2025

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

$16K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2019

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

$75K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2015

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

$29K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2013

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

$59K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$15K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2009

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

$11K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$2K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$43K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$45K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$18K to the Township of Creswell for repairs
2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

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

Creswell and the towns around it

Arkansas City: Moderate, mostly tornadoesBolton: High, mostly inland floodingPleasant Valley: High, mostly inland floodingSilverdale: Very high, mostly inland floodingParkerfield: High, mostly inland floodingBeaver: High, mostly inland floodingWalton: High, mostly inland floodingWinfield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWalnut: Moderate, mostly tornadoesLiberty: Very high, mostly inland floodingVernon: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSpring Creek: Very high, mostly inland floodingValverde: High, mostly inland floodingCreswell: High, mostly tornadoes CreswellArkansas CityBoltonPleasant ValleySilverdaleParkerfieldBeaver
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Silverdalemostly inland floodingVery high
Boltonmostly inland floodingHigh
Parkerfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Pleasant Valleymostly inland floodingHigh
Beavermostly inland floodingHigh
Creswellmostly tornadoesHigh
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. Creswell covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Creswell’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Creswell. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Creswell total about $6.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.

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