Natural hazards · Kirkwood

Kirkwood, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kirkwood comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 123 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kirkwood?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kirkwood to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves36%Inland flooding27%Earthquakes21%Cold waves6%Hail6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Kirkwood faces

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

Heat waves

36% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

21% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Kirkwood flood?

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

123paid claims since 1979

$2.0Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Not a named storm: 15 claims, $364K
Late spring severe storms: 3 claims, $206K
Early winter storms: 3 claims, $242K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Louis County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Kirkwood

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KirkwoodDeclared for St. Louis County only

2025

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

1 household applied for aid $10K aid approved

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $70K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

$28K to the City of Kirkwood for repairs

2015

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

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $170K to the City of Kirkwood for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $188 aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

6 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$247K to the City of Kirkwood for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$41K to the City of Kirkwood for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$60K to the City of Kirkwood for repairs

St. Louis County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Kirkwood

Kirkwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Warson Woodsmostly inland floodingHigh

Oaklandmostly inland floodingHigh

Crestwoodmostly heat wavesHigh

Des Peresmostly inland floodingHigh

Frontenacmostly inland floodingHigh

Kirkwoodmostly heat wavesModerate

Sunset Hillsmostly inland floodingModerate

Glendalemostly heat wavesModerate

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. Kirkwood covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kirkwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kirkwood. 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 Kirkwood total about $18.8M 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.