Natural hazards · Shawnee

Shawnee, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shawnee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shawnee?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shawnee to be higher than in 26% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes23%Cold waves14%Heat waves12%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Shawnee faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 34% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

12% 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 Shawnee flood?

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

43paid claims since 1979

$627Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 8 claims, $59K
Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $55K

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

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Shawnee is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Johnson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Shawnee

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ShawneeDeclared for Johnson County only

2023

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

$100K to the City of Shawnee for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$279K to the City of Shawnee for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$471K to the City of Shawnee for repairs

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

Around Shawnee

Shawnee and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Edwardsvillemostly inland floodingModerate

De Sotomostly inland floodingModerate

Bonner Springsmostly inland floodingModerate

Lake Quiviramostly inland floodingModerate

Lexingtonmostly inland floodingLow

Lenexamostly inland floodingLow

Kansas Citymostly inland floodingLow

Shawneemostly inland floodingLow

Merriammostly inland floodingVery low

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. Shawnee covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shawnee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Shawnee. 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 Shawnee total about $24.3M 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.