Natural hazards · Golden

Golden, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Golden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Golden?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Golden to be higher than in 85% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding67%Tornadoes12%Everything else21%

By hazard

What Golden faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 31 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Golden flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Golden.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Barry County.

Disasters that hit Golden

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GoldenDeclared for Barry County only

2024

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

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2015

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

2 households applied for aid

2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

Barry County has had 24 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. Golden is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Golden’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Golden. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.