Natural hazards · Gladstone

Gladstone, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gladstone comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 49 claims here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gladstone?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gladstone to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding32%Cold waves27%Tornadoes20%Heat waves12%Hail5%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Gladstone faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Cold waves

27% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Heat waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gladstone flood?

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

49paid claims since 1979

$490Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 26 claims, $242K

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

Insurance rates: Clay County.

Disasters that hit Gladstone

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GladstoneDeclared for Clay County only

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $329 aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

115 households applied for aid $31K aid approved $381K to the City of Gladstone for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$484K to the City of Gladstone for repairs

Clay County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Gladstone

Gladstone and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gladstonemostly inland floodingLow

Oakwoodmostly cold wavesLow

Oakviewmostly cold wavesLow

Oakwood Parkmostly cold wavesLow

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. Gladstone covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gladstone’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gladstone. 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 Gladstone total about $8.7M 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.