Natural hazards · Piedmont

Piedmont, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Piedmont comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 65 claims here since 1982. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Piedmont?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Piedmont to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding54%Cold waves16%Earthquakes12%Tornadoes8%Heat waves6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Piedmont faces

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

Inland flooding

54% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

16% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 24 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Piedmont flood?

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

65paid claims since 1982

$1.5Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

March storm: 31 claims, $1.1M
Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $31K
Not a named storm: 1 claim, $22K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wayne County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

136flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Piedmont

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PiedmontDeclared for Wayne County only

2025

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

8 households applied for aid $139K aid approved $113K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

2025

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

96 households applied for aid $601K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

42 households applied for aid $78K aid approved $118K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

41 households applied for aid $78K aid approved $28K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$19K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

453 households applied for aid $2.4M aid approved $374K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$29K to the City of Piedmont for repairs

Wayne County has had 25 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. Piedmont covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Piedmont’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Piedmont. 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 Piedmont total about $6.0M 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.