Natural hazards · Empire

Empire, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Empire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Empire?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Empire to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding34%Tornadoes17%Hail11%Wildfire10%Ice storms7%Strong wind7%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Empire faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Wildfire

10% of expected damage

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

Ice storms

7% 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 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Winter weatherHeat 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 Empire flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ellsworth County.

Disasters that hit Empire

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmpireDeclared for Ellsworth County only

2013

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

$11K to the Township of Empire for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$18K to the Township of Empire for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$6K to the Township of Empire for repairs

Ellsworth County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Empire

Empire and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Empiremostly inland floodingHigh

Trivolimostly inland floodingHigh

Carneiromostly inland floodingHigh

Ash Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Clear Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Langleymostly inland floodingHigh

Spring Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Falunmostly inland floodingModerate

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