Natural hazards · Rolla

Rolla, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rolla comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 61 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Rolla?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rolla to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding30%Heat waves19%Cold waves18%Earthquakes13%Tornadoes6%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Rolla faces

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

19% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about 12 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

6% of expected damage

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

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Rolla flood?

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

61paid claims since 1979

$1.2Mpaid to owners

9homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Early winter storms: 5 claims, $255K
March storm: 1 claim, $633
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $3K

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. Rolla isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Phelps County.

Disasters that hit Rolla

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into RollaDeclared for Phelps County only

2025

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

218 households applied for aid $209K aid approved $134K to the City of Rolla for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

18 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

2015

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

37 households applied for aid $68K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

33 households applied for aid $45K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$205K to the City of Rolla for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $25K aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Phelps 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. Rolla covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Rolla’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rolla. 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 Rolla total about $6.8M 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.