Natural hazards · Salina

Salina, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salina comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 88 claims here since 1981. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Salina?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salina to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes35%Inland flooding31%Cold waves11%Heat waves6%Ice storms5%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Salina faces

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

Tornadoes

35% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Ice storms

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HailWinter 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 Salina flood?

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

88paid claims since 1981

$3.3Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19812026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 7 claims, $27K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Saline County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Salina

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalinaDeclared for Saline County only

2021

Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds

$318K to the City of Salina for repairs

2019

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

$43K to the City of Salina for repairs

2013

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

$2K to the City of Salina for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$888K to the City of Salina for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

538 households applied for aid $1.4M aid approved $263K to the City of Salina for repairs

Saline County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Salina

Salina and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Greeleymostly inland floodingHigh

Elm Creekmostly inland floodingHigh

Cambriamostly inland floodingHigh

Smolanmostly inland floodingModerate

Walnutmostly inland floodingModerate

Salinamostly tornadoesModerate

Smoky Hillmostly tornadoesLow

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. Salina covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Salina’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Salina. 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 Salina total about $22.9M 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.