Natural hazards · Oswego

Oswego, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oswego comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1994. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oswego?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oswego to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes22%Cold waves10%Strong wind6%Everything else19%

By hazard

What Oswego 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

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 42 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Oswego flood?

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

2paid claims since 1994

$41Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19942026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $35K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Labette County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Oswego

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OswegoDeclared for Labette County only

2009

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

$22K to the City of Oswego for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$46K to the City of Oswego for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $177K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$164K to the City of Oswego for repairs

Labette County has had 12 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. Oswego covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oswego’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oswego. 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 Oswego total about $1.4M 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.