Natural hazards · Bel-Ridge

Bel-Ridge, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Bel-Ridge comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 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 Bel-Ridge?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Bel-Ridge to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and earthquakes.

Heat waves34%Earthquakes29%Inland flooding22%Cold waves5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Bel-Ridge faces

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

Heat waves

34% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

29% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 Bel-Ridge flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Louis County.

Disasters that hit Bel-Ridge

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Bel-Ridge itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Village of Bel-Ridge.

Brought FEMA money into Bel-RidgeDeclared for St. Louis County only

2006

Severe Storms

$9K to the Village of Bel-Ridge for repairs

St. Louis County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Bel-Ridge

Bel-Ridge and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Johnmostly heat wavesHigh

Bel-Ridgemostly heat wavesModerate

Bel-Normostly earthquakesModerate

Berkeleymostly heat wavesModerate

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. Bel-Ridge covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Bel-Ridge’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Village of Bel-Ridge. 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 Bel-Ridge total about $2.6M 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.