Natural hazards · Howard

Howard, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very 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 Howard?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Howard to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding37%Wildfire30%Tornadoes13%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Howard faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

30% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Howard flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Elk County.

Disasters that hit Howard

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowardDeclared for Elk County only

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

39 households applied for aid $30K aid approved $2K to the City of Howard for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$62K to the City of Howard for repairs

Elk County has had 18 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. Howard 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 Howard’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Howard. 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.