Natural hazards · Belton

Belton, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Belton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 13 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 Belton?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Belton to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding32%Tornadoes24%Cold waves16%Heat waves10%Strong wind8%Hail7%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Belton 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

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Belton flood?

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

13paid claims since 1979

$85Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 2 claims, $8K

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

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

Insurance rates: Cass County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Belton

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BeltonDeclared for Cass County only

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$27K to the City of Belton for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$418K to the City of Belton for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $61K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$213K to the City of Belton for repairs

Cass County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and ice storms.

Around Belton

Belton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Grandviewmostly inland floodingModerate

Raymoremostly inland floodingLow

Loch Lloydmostly inland floodingLow

Kansas Citymostly inland floodingLow

Beltonmostly inland floodingLow

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. Belton covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Belton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Belton. 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 Belton total about $7.7M 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.