Natural hazards · Festus

Festus, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Festus comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 89 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Festus?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Festus to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes16%Earthquakes15%Strong wind9%Cold waves8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Festus faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

15% of expected damage

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

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesLightning

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 Festus flood?

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

89paid claims since 1979

$1.1Mpaid to owners

11homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 21 claims, $561K
Not a named storm: 4 claims, $17K
Late spring storms: 1 claim, $6K

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. Festus isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Jefferson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

25flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Festus

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FestusDeclared for Jefferson County only

2025

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

6 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2015

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

8 households applied for aid $24K aid approved $8K to the City of Festus for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $41K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

16 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms

$21K to the City of Festus for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

105 households applied for aid $195K aid approved $22K to the City of Festus for repairs

Jefferson County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Festus

Festus and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Herculaneummostly inland floodingHigh

Crystal Citymostly inland floodingHigh

Festusmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Festus covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Festus’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Festus. 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 Festus total about $2.7M 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.