Natural hazards · Lexington

Lexington, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lexington comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lexington?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lexington to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves37%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes14%Heat waves7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Lexington faces

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

Cold waves

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 53% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 37% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 19 years in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Lexington flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lafayette County.

Disasters that hit Lexington

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LexingtonDeclared for Lafayette County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $25K aid approved $115K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2011

Flooding

6 households applied for aid $14K aid approved $39K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$14K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$4K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $19K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$12K to the City of Lexington for repairs

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$109K to the City of Lexington for repairs

Lafayette County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Lexington is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lexington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lexington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.