Natural hazards · Yates Center

Yates Center, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Yates Center comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Yates Center?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Yates Center to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes15%Strong wind12%Cold waves9%Heat waves8%Lightning6%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Yates Center faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 80 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Lightning

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherEarthquakesLandslidesDrought

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 Yates Center flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Yates Center.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Woodson County.

Disasters that hit Yates Center

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Yates CenterDeclared for Woodson County only

2023

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

$16K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

2019

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

$72K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$15K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $23K aid approved $25K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$5K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$29K to the City of Yates Center for repairs

Woodson County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and fires.

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. Yates Center covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Yates Center’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Yates Center. 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 Yates Center total about $799K 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.