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 moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 99 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Topeka?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Topeka to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding55%Tornadoes18%Heat waves8%Cold waves5%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

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

8% 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

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Topeka flood?

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

99paid claims since 1979

$1.5Mpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $3K
Thunderstorms: 1 claim, $7K

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

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Topeka is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Shawnee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5storm safe rooms built

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Topeka

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TopekaDeclared for Shawnee County only

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1,241 households applied for aid $2.7M aid approved

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

Menokenmostly 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 31 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Topeka’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City 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 $46.1M 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.