Natural hazards · Parsons

Parsons, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Parsons comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Parsons?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Parsons to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes24%Cold waves10%Strong wind7%Ice storms5%Heat waves5%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Parsons faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

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

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

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Parsons flood?

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

58paid claims since 1979

$916Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $1K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Parsons 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

74flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

6flood-prone homes bought out and moved

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Parsons

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ParsonsDeclared for Labette County only

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$38K to the City of Parsons for repairs

2009

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

$924K to the City of Parsons for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $44K aid approved $30K to the City of Parsons for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$20K to the City of Parsons for repairs

2000

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$361K to the City of Parsons for repairs

Labette County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Parsons

Parsons and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northmostly inland floodingHigh

Parsonsmostly inland floodingModerate

Osagemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Parsons covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Parsons’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Parsons. 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 Parsons 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.