Natural hazards · Ozark

Ozark, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ozark comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ozark?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ozark to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding40%Drought24%Tornadoes12%Cold waves9%Strong wind5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Ozark faces

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

Inland flooding

40% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

24% of expected damage

Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 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 Ozark flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Ozark 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 Ozark

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OzarkDeclared for Barton County only

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

$100K to the Township of Ozark for repairs

2015

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

$11K to the Township of Ozark for repairs

2013

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

$5K to the Township of Ozark for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

$25K to the Township of Ozark for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$18K to the Township of Ozark for repairs

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

Around Ozark

Ozark and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ozarkmostly inland floodingHigh

South Westmostly inland floodingHigh

Centralmostly inland floodingHigh

Leroymostly inland floodingHigh

Mindenminesmostly inland floodingHigh

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Lincolnmostly 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. Ozark 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 Ozark’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Ozark. 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.