Natural hazards · Howard

Howard, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Howard comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Howard?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding54%Tornadoes12%Cold waves12%Strong wind8%Heat waves6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Howard faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Howard flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bates County.

Disasters that hit Howard

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HowardDeclared for Bates County only

2015

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

$39K to the Township of Howard for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$23K to the Township of Howard for repairs

Bates County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and ice storms.

Around Howard

Howard and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Howardmostly inland floodingHigh

Walnutmostly inland floodingHigh

Henrymostly inland floodingHigh

Metzmostly inland floodingHigh

Osagemostly inland floodingHigh

New Homemostly inland floodingHigh

Sheridanmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Howard 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 Howard’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Howard. 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.