Natural hazards · Topeka

Topeka, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Topeka comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2015.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Topeka?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Topeka to be higher than in 30% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding33%Tornadoes26%Heat waves14%Cold waves9%Ice storms6%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Topeka faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Heat waves

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Ice storms

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% 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 Topeka flood?

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

5paid claims since 2015

$138Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20152026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shawnee County.

Disasters that hit Topeka

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Shawnee County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Topeka itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into TopekaDeclared for Shawnee County only

Shawnee County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Topeka

Topeka and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Topekamostly inland floodingModerate

Missionmostly inland floodingModerate

Soldiermostly inland floodingModerate

Tecumsehmostly inland floodingLow

Topekamostly inland floodingLow

Williamsportmostly 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. Topeka covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Topeka’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Topeka. 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 Topeka 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.