Natural hazards · Herculaneum

Herculaneum, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Herculaneum comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 47 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Herculaneum?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Herculaneum to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding44%Tornadoes16%Earthquakes13%Cold waves9%Strong wind8%Heat waves5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Herculaneum faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% 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

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Herculaneum flood?

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

47paid claims since 1979

$1.4Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 9 claims, $428K
Late spring severe storms: 3 claims, $129K
Early winter storms: 3 claims, $194K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Herculaneum 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

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Herculaneum

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HerculaneumDeclared for Jefferson County only

2025

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

13 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $911 aid approved $12K to the City of Herculaneum for repairs

2015

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

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $53K to the City of Herculaneum for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the City of Herculaneum for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$3K to the City of Herculaneum for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$5K to the City of Herculaneum for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

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

Around Herculaneum

Herculaneum and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Herculaneummostly inland floodingHigh

Horinemostly inland floodingHigh

Pevelymostly 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. Herculaneum covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Herculaneum’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Herculaneum. 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 Herculaneum total about $2.3M 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.