Natural hazards · Des Peres

Des Peres, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Des Peres comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Des Peres?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Des Peres to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding41%Heat waves30%Earthquakes14%Hail6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Des Peres faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

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

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% 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 Des Peres flood?

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

24paid claims since 1979

$204Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 3 claims, $18K
Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $4K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $19K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Des Peres 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 Des Peres

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Des PeresDeclared for St. Louis County only

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$35K to the City of Des Peres for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$24K to the City of Des Peres for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$18K to the City of Des Peres for repairs

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

Around Des Peres

Des Peres and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Des Peresmostly inland floodingHigh

Frontenacmostly inland floodingHigh

Town and Countrymostly inland floodingModerate

Kirkwoodmostly 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. Des Peres covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Des Peres’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Des Peres. 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 Des Peres total about $5.6M 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.