Natural hazards · Fairfax

Fairfax, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fairfax comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fairfax?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fairfax to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and ice storms.

Inland flooding31%Ice storms18%Tornadoes14%Hail7%Strong wind7%Lightning6%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Fairfax 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

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Lower here

Winter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Fairfax flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Osage County.

Disasters that hit Fairfax

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FairfaxDeclared for Osage County only

2025

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

$20K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

2019

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

$37K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

2015

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

$50K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$12K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$40K to the Township of Fairfax for repairs

Osage County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Fairfax

Fairfax and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fairfaxmostly inland floodingModerate

Junctionmostly inland floodingModerate

Valley Brookmostly inland floodingModerate

Ridgewaymostly inland floodingModerate

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