Natural hazards · Sunset Hills

Sunset Hills, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sunset Hills comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 118 claims here since 1979. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sunset Hills?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sunset Hills to be higher than in 50% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and heat waves.

Inland flooding34%Heat waves25%Earthquakes24%Hail7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Sunset Hills faces

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

Inland flooding

34% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 43% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

25% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Hail

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Sunset Hills flood?

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

118paid claims since 1979

$7.8Mpaid to owners

23homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Late spring severe storms: 15 claims, $1.6M
Early winter storms: 15 claims, $4.7M
Midwest Flooding: 12 claims, $182K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Sunset Hills 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Sunset Hills

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Sunset HillsDeclared for St. Louis County only

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

$290K to the City of Sunset Hills for repairs

2015

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

7 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $172K to the City of Sunset Hills for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$22K to the City of Sunset Hills for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$65K to the City of Sunset Hills for repairs

2006

Severe Storms

$21K to the City of Sunset Hills for repairs

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

Around Sunset Hills

Sunset Hills and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Crestwoodmostly heat wavesHigh

Fentonmostly inland floodingHigh

Sunset Hillsmostly inland floodingModerate

Kirkwoodmostly heat wavesModerate

Sappingtonmostly 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. Sunset Hills covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sunset Hills’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sunset Hills. 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 Sunset Hills total about $10.0M 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.