Natural hazards · Maryland Heights

Maryland Heights, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Maryland Heights comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 43 claims here since 1993. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Maryland Heights?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Maryland Heights to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and inland flooding.

Heat waves37%Inland flooding32%Earthquakes13%Cold waves6%Hail6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Maryland Heights faces

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

Heat waves

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% 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 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 Maryland Heights flood?

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

43paid claims since 1993

$2.5Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Late July Flooding: 15 claims, $1.4M
Hurricane Ike: 5 claims, $241K
Midwest Flooding: 4 claims, $128K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: St. Louis County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Maryland Heights

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Maryland HeightsDeclared for St. Louis County only

2025

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

20 households applied for aid $30K aid approved

2025

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

12 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

198 households applied for aid $763K aid approved $744K to the City of Maryland Heights for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2015

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

10 households applied for aid $734 aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

122 households applied for aid $56K aid approved $221K to the City of Maryland Heights for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

5 households applied for aid $6K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$56K to the City of Maryland Heights for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$38K to the City of Maryland Heights for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$32K to the City of Maryland Heights for repairs

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

Around Maryland Heights

Maryland Heights and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Bridgetonmostly inland floodingHigh

Maryland Heightsmostly heat wavesModerate

Champmostly inland floodingModerate

Chesterfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Maryland Heights covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Maryland Heights’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Maryland Heights. 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 Maryland Heights total about $25.0M 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.