Natural hazards · Harper

Harper, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harper comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Harper?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harper to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves22%Inland flooding22%Tornadoes19%Drought13%Hail12%Strong wind5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Harper faces

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

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 61 times a year in the area

Hail

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 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

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Harper flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Harper County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Harper

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarperDeclared for Harper County only

2019

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

$454K to the City of Harper for repairs

2013

Snowstorm

$2K to the City of Harper for repairs

2009

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

$85K to the City of Harper for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$4K to the City of Harper for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

39 households applied for aid $42K aid approved $13K to the City of Harper for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$17K to the City of Harper for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$33K to the City of Harper for repairs

Harper County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Harper

Harper and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Harpermostly cold wavesHigh

Township 5mostly cold wavesHigh

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