Natural hazards · Salisbury

Salisbury, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salisbury 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 Salisbury?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salisbury to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding57%Tornadoes14%Heat waves8%Cold waves7%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Salisbury faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Salisbury flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chariton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Salisbury

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalisburyDeclared for Chariton County only

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2011

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$6K to the City of Salisbury for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

$4K to the City of Salisbury for repairs

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $8K aid approved

2002

Severe Winter Ice Storm

$26K to the City of Salisbury for repairs

Chariton 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. Salisbury 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 Salisbury’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Salisbury. 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.