Natural hazards · Medford

Medford, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Medford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1989. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Medford?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Medford to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes19%Hail9%Strong wind8%Cold waves8%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Medford faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Medford flood?

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

18paid claims since 1989

$157Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 2 claims, $14K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Reno County.

Disasters that hit Medford

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MedfordDeclared for Reno County only

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$6K to the Township of Medford for repairs

Reno County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and fires.

Around Medford

Medford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Enterprisemostly wildfiresVery high

Medfordmostly inland floodingHigh

Walnutmostly inland floodingHigh

Salt Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Sterlingmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Medford covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Medford’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Medford. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Medford total about $1.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.