Natural hazards · Berkeley

Berkeley, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berkeley comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1978. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Berkeley?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berkeley to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and earthquakes.

Heat waves30%Earthquakes29%Inland flooding24%Hail7%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Berkeley faces

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

Heat waves

30% 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 84% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Berkeley flood?

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

11paid claims since 1978

$58Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 1 claim, $7K

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. Berkeley 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 Berkeley

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BerkeleyDeclared for St. Louis County only

2025

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

2 households applied for aid

2025

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

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

69 households applied for aid $87K aid approved $469K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2015

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

25 households applied for aid $15K aid approved

2013

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

$154K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

89 households applied for aid $107K aid approved $289K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

18 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $841 aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$17K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$55K to the City of Berkeley for repairs

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

Around Berkeley

Berkeley and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cool Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

St. Johnmostly heat wavesHigh

Fergusonmostly heat wavesHigh

Woodson Terracemostly heat wavesHigh

Bel-Ridgemostly heat wavesModerate

Hazelwoodmostly heat wavesModerate

Kinlochmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Berkeley covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berkeley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Berkeley. 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 Berkeley total about $6.4M 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.