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Natural hazards · Center

Center, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Center comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Center?

53
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Center to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes14%Heat waves13%Cold waves5%Strong wind5%Everything else12%
By hazard

What Center faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Heat waves

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places
Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Center flood?

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

2paid claims since 1993
$8Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19932026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Center isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Vernon County.
Disasters that hit Center

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CenterDeclared for Vernon County only
2025

Severe Storms and Flooding

$22K to the Township of Center for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the Township of Center for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$10K to the Township of Center for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$23K to the Township of Center for repairs
2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$52K to the Township of Center for repairs
Vernon County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Center

Center and the towns around it

Washington: Low, mostly inland floodingBadger: High, mostly inland floodingDeerfield: High, mostly inland floodingDrywood: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMoundville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNevada: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWalker: High, mostly inland floodingOsage: High, mostly inland floodingLake: High, mostly inland floodingVirgil: High, mostly inland floodingDover: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCoal: High, mostly inland floodingUnion: High, mostly inland floodingBarton City: High, mostly inland floodingHarrison: High, mostly inland floodingClear Creek: High, mostly inland floodingBlue Mound: High, mostly inland floodingCenter: Moderate, mostly inland flooding CenterWashingtonBadgerDeerfieldDrywoodMoundvilleNevadaWalker
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Deerfieldmostly inland floodingHigh
Badgermostly inland floodingHigh
Walkermostly inland floodingHigh
Drywoodmostly inland floodingModerate
Moundvillemostly inland floodingModerate
Centermostly inland floodingModerate
Nevadamostly inland floodingModerate
Washingtonmostly 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. Center covers 1 census tract, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Center’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Center. 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 Center total about $2.5M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/15 · 2025-01-01
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