Natural hazards · Olivette

Olivette, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olivette comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 25 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Olivette?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Olivette to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and heat waves.

Earthquakes31%Heat waves30%Inland flooding20%Hail8%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Olivette faces

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

Earthquakes

31% of expected damage

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

Heat waves

30% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 11% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hail

8% 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 Olivette flood?

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

25paid claims since 1978

$371Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Late July Flooding: 4 claims, $166K
Not a named storm: 2 claims, $672
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Olivette 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.

Disasters that hit Olivette

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OlivetteDeclared for St. Louis County only

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $48K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2015

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

2 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

4 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$49K to the City of Olivette for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$22K to the City of Olivette for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$15K to the City of Olivette for repairs

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

Around Olivette

Olivette and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

University Citymostly heat wavesHigh

Overlandmostly heat wavesModerate

Olivettemostly earthquakesLow

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. Olivette covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olivette’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olivette. 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 Olivette total about $8.7M 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.