Natural hazards · Rochester

Rochester, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rochester comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rochester?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rochester to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding22%Cold waves17%Tornadoes16%Wildfire12%Hail11%Drought10%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Rochester faces

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Wildfire

12% of expected damage

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

Hail

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 44 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Rochester flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kingman County.

Disasters that hit Rochester

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RochesterDeclared for Kingman County only

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$36K to the Township of Rochester for repairs

2013

Snowstorm

$1K to the Township of Rochester for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$12K to the Township of Rochester for repairs

Kingman County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Rochester

Rochester and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rochestermostly inland floodingHigh

Petersmostly inland floodingHigh

Chikaskiamostly inland floodingHigh

Libertymostly inland floodingHigh

Township 1mostly droughtHigh

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. Rochester 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 Rochester’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Rochester. 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.