Natural hazards · Kansas

Kansas, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kansas comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1,187 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kansas?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kansas to be higher than in 34% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding39%Tornadoes24%Heat waves13%Cold waves13%Hail8%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Kansas faces

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

Inland flooding

39% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Heat waves

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Kansas flood?

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

1,187paid claims since 1978

$40.5Mpaid to owners

152homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 212 claims, $2.0M
Midwest Flooding: 118 claims, $5.2M
Hurricane Ike: 4 claims, $656K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 3 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (32) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 10% off flood insurance. Kansas is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Jackson County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17storm safe rooms built

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Kansas

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KansasDeclared for Jackson County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

55 households applied for aid $35K aid approved

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$287K to the City of Kansas for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

78 households applied for aid $234K aid approved

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$159K to the City of Kansas for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

162 households applied for aid $226K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

313 households applied for aid $164K aid approved

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$17.7M to the City of Kansas for repairs

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

Around Kansas

Kansas and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Blue Summitmostly inland floodingModerate

Riversidemostly inland floodingModerate

Grandviewmostly inland floodingModerate

Independencemostly inland floodingModerate

Lee's Summitmostly inland floodingLow

Sugar Creekmostly inland floodingLow

Kansas Citymostly inland floodingLow

Beltonmostly inland floodingLow

Libertymostly inland floodingLow

Claycomomostly inland floodingLow

Kansas Citymostly inland floodingLow

Raytownmostly inland floodingLow

Unity Villagemostly 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. Kansas covers 159 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kansas’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kansas. 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 Kansas total about $185M 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.