Natural hazards · St. John

St. John, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in St. John comes from heat waves, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is St. John?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in St. John to be higher than in 65% of U.S. communities, mostly from heat waves and earthquakes.

Heat waves43%Earthquakes22%Inland flooding20%Cold waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What St. John faces

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

Heat waves

43% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

22% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

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

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce 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 St. John flood?

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

12paid claims since 1979

$22Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Hurricane Ike: 3 claims, $9K
Late spring severe storms: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. St. John 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. Louis County.

Disasters that hit St. John

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into St. JohnDeclared for St. Louis County only

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

$26K to the City of St. John for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

2015

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

1 household applied for aid

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$26K to the City of St. John for repairs

St. Louis County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around St. John

St. John and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

St. Johnmostly heat wavesHigh

Woodson Terracemostly heat wavesHigh

Bel-Ridgemostly heat wavesModerate

Charlackmostly earthquakesModerate

Breckenridge Hillsmostly heat wavesModerate

Berkeleymostly heat wavesModerate

Overlandmostly heat wavesModerate

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. John covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to St. John’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of St. John. 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. John total about $3.0M 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.