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Natural hazards · Joplin

Joplin, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Joplin comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Joplin?

57
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Joplin to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding47%Tornadoes23%Heat waves10%Everything else20%
By hazard

What Joplin faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Heat waves

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Joplin flood?

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

50paid claims since 1978
$1.3Mpaid to owners
7homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring severe storms: 3 claims, $69K
  • Early winter storms: 2 claims, $313K

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. Joplin isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jasper County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

14storm safe rooms built
4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Joplin

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JoplinDeclared for Jasper County only
2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $42K aid approved
2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

45 households applied for aid $38K aid approved
2015

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

80 households applied for aid $187K aid approved $125K to the City of Joplin for repairs
2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

10,172 households applied for aid $20.6M aid approved $8.6M to the City of Joplin for repairs
2009

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

93 households applied for aid $89K aid approved $207K to the City of Joplin for repairs
2008

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

21 households applied for aid $9K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

57 households applied for aid $131K aid approved
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$1.5M to the City of Joplin for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$179K to the City of Joplin for repairs
2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
Jasper County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Joplin

Joplin and the towns around it

Leawood: High, mostly inland floodingDuquesne: Low, mostly inland floodingWebb City: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDuenweg: Moderate, mostly inland floodingGrand Falls Plaza: High, mostly inland floodingRedings Mill: High, mostly inland floodingLoma Linda: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSaginaw: Moderate, mostly inland floodingAirport Drive: High, mostly inland floodingCarterville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCarl Junction: High, mostly inland floodingJoplin: Moderate, mostly inland flooding JoplinLeawoodDuquesneWebb CityDuenwegGrand Falls PlazaRedings MillLoma LindaSaginawAirport Drive
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Airport Drivemostly inland floodingHigh
Leawoodmostly inland floodingHigh
Grand Falls Plazamostly inland floodingHigh
Redings Millmostly inland floodingHigh
Webb Citymostly inland floodingModerate
Joplinmostly inland floodingModerate
Loma Lindamostly inland floodingModerate
Saginawmostly inland floodingModerate
Duenwegmostly inland floodingModerate
Duquesnemostly inland floodingLow
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. Joplin covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Joplin’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Joplin. 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 Joplin total about $21.2M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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