Natural hazards · Dexter

Dexter, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dexter comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 1991. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Dexter?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dexter to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes55%Inland flooding14%Tornadoes10%Cold waves7%Heat waves6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Dexter faces

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

Earthquakes

55% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Dexter flood?

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

3paid claims since 1991

$18Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19912026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Stoddard County.

Disasters that hit Dexter

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DexterDeclared for Stoddard County only

2025

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

15 households applied for aid $40K aid approved

2024

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

223 households applied for aid $337K aid approved $2.6M to the City of Dexter for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

29 households applied for aid $37K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$354K to the City of Dexter for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

$61K to the City of Dexter for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

9 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2008

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$20K to the City of Dexter for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $455 aid approved

Stoddard County has had 22 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. Dexter covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dexter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dexter. 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 Dexter total about $8.8M 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.