Natural hazards · Alton

Alton, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 38 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Alton?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alton to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding42%Cold waves22%Earthquakes13%Tornadoes10%Heat waves5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Alton faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

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

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Alton flood?

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

38paid claims since 1979

$400Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 8 claims, $50K
Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $138K

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

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

Insurance rates: Oregon County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Alton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AltonDeclared for Oregon County only

2025

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

3 households applied for aid $41K aid approved

2025

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

10 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$17K to the City of Alton for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

Oregon County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Alton is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Alton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.