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Natural hazards · Benton

Benton, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Benton comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Benton?

76
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Benton to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and tornadoes.

Earthquakes31%Tornadoes20%Inland flooding18%Strong wind7%Cold waves7%Heat waves7%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Benton faces

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

Earthquakes

31% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Benton flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Benton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Scott County.
Disasters that hit Benton

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BentonDeclared for Scott County only
2025

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

5 households applied for aid $23K aid approved
2024

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

2 households applied for aid $15K aid approved
2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

33 households applied for aid $48K aid approved
2009

Severe Winter Storm

$6K to the City of Benton for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

$2K to the City of Benton for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

37 households applied for aid $65K aid approved
2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $13K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
Scott County has had 25 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. Benton 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 Benton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Benton. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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