Natural hazards · Durham

Durham, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Durham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Durham?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Durham to be higher than in 64% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes17%Hail10%Ice storms9%Strong wind7%Heat waves5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Durham faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 60% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Hail

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Ice storms

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Lower here

Winter weatherCold 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 Durham flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

Disasters that hit Durham

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DurhamDeclared for Marion County only

2019

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

$87K to the City of Durham for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$5K to the City of Durham for repairs

Marion County has had 19 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. Durham 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 Durham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Durham. 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.