Natural hazards · Winfield

Winfield, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Winfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Winfield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding30%Tornadoes29%Cold waves22%Heat waves6%Strong wind6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Winfield faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

29% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Winfield flood?

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

26paid claims since 1979

$1.1Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 2 claims, $102K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cowley County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Winfield

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WinfieldDeclared for Cowley County only

2019

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

$371K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2015

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

$159K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2009

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

$16K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$102K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding and Tornadoes

$171K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

219 households applied for aid $234K aid approved $169K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$153K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2005

Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding

$10K to the City of Winfield for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$3.2M to the City of Winfield for repairs

Cowley County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Winfield

Winfield and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pleasant Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

Winfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Vernonmostly inland floodingModerate

Walnutmostly tornadoesModerate

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. Winfield covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Winfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Winfield. 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 Winfield total about $2.7M 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.