Natural hazards · Olathe

Olathe, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olathe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 41 claims here since 1983. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olathe?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olathe to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes21%Cold waves12%Heat waves11%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Olathe 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

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Olathe flood?

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

41paid claims since 1983

$871Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 4 claims, $18K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Olathe is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Johnson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Olathe

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OlatheDeclared for Johnson County only

2017

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$7K to the City of Olathe for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$906K to the City of Olathe for repairs

Johnson County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Olathe

Olathe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

De Sotomostly inland floodingModerate

Oxfordmostly inland floodingLow

Lexingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Olathemostly inland floodingLow

Overland Parkmostly inland floodingLow

Gardnermostly inland floodingLow

Aubrymostly inland floodingLow

Spring Hillmostly inland floodingLow

Lenexamostly inland floodingLow

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. Olathe covers 30 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olathe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olathe. 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 Olathe total about $52.2M 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.