Natural hazards · Ladue

Ladue, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ladue comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 217 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ladue?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ladue to be higher than in 71% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding44%Earthquakes22%Heat waves21%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Ladue 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 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Heat waves

21% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 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 weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Ladue flood?

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

217paid claims since 1979

$8.8Mpaid to owners

34homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 44 claims, $3.9M
Late July Flooding: 23 claims, $1.4M
Midwest Flooding: 20 claims, $200K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ladue 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

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Ladue

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LadueDeclared for St. Louis County only

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $35K aid approved $87K to the City of Ladue for repairs

2015

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

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$114K to the City of Ladue for repairs

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

Around Ladue

Ladue and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Warson Woodsmostly inland floodingHigh

Laduemostly inland floodingHigh

University Citymostly heat wavesHigh

Richmond Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh

Frontenacmostly inland floodingHigh

Huntleighmostly inland floodingModerate

Rock Hillmostly heat wavesModerate

Claytonmostly earthquakesModerate

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. Ladue covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ladue’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ladue. 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 Ladue total about $13.7M 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.