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Natural hazards · St. Charles

St. Charles, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. Charles comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 647 claims here since 1978. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is St. Charles?

70
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. Charles to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding49%Earthquakes17%Tornadoes12%Cold waves7%Heat waves5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What St. Charles faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 15 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 St. Charles flood?

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

647paid claims since 1978
$12.5Mpaid to owners
63homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 132 claims, $3.3M
  • Late July Flooding: 72 claims, $2.6M
  • Late spring storms: 30 claims, $1.5M

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (21) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. St. Charles 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. Charles County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1,165flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
11homes raised above flood level
3flood-prone homes bought out and moved
1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit St. Charles

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into St. CharlesDeclared for St. Charles County only
2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

1,193 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $2.5M to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

223 households applied for aid $579K aid approved $208K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2015

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

100 households applied for aid $75K aid approved $178K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2013

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

$108K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

55 households applied for aid $123K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

167 households applied for aid $512K aid approved
2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$593K to the City of St. Charles for repairs
St. Charles County has had 23 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around St. Charles

St. Charles and the towns around it

St. Peters: High, mostly inland floodingBridgeton: High, mostly inland floodingCottleville: Very high, mostly inland floodingWeldon Spring: Moderate, mostly inland floodingO'Fallon: High, mostly inland floodingMaryland Heights: Moderate, mostly heat wavesSt. Ann: Moderate, mostly heat wavesHazelwood: Moderate, mostly heat wavesChamp: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSt. Charles: High, mostly inland flooding St. CharlesSt. PetersBridgeton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
St. Charlesmostly inland floodingHigh
Bridgetonmostly inland floodingHigh
St. Petersmostly inland floodingHigh
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. St. Charles covers 17 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. Charles’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of St. Charles. 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 St. Charles total about $36.0M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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