Natural hazards · Lamar

Lamar, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lamar comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lamar?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding41%Drought21%Tornadoes13%Cold waves8%Strong wind6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Lamar faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

21% of expected damage

Recorded about 16 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Lamar flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Barton County.

Disasters that hit Lamar

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Barton County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Lamar itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into LamarDeclared for Barton County only

Barton County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Lamar

Lamar and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Northforkmostly inland floodingHigh

Centralmostly inland floodingHigh

Unionmostly inland floodingHigh

Lamarmostly inland floodingHigh

Richlandmostly inland floodingHigh

Newportmostly inland floodingHigh

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. Lamar covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lamar’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Lamar. 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 Lamar total about $3.0M 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.