Natural hazards · Hesston

Hesston, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hesston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1993. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hesston?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes24%Hail11%Cold waves6%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Hesston faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Hesston flood?

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

3paid claims since 1993

$29Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $25K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Harvey County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Hesston

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HesstonDeclared for Harvey County only

2013

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

$8K to the City of Hesston for repairs

2013

Snowstorm

$2K to the City of Hesston for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$34K to the City of Hesston for repairs

Harvey County has had 21 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. Hesston 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 Hesston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hesston. 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.