Natural hazards · Union

Union, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Union comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1998. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Union?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Union to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes47%Inland flooding16%Heat waves9%Tornadoes8%Drought8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Union faces

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

Earthquakes

47% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 18 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Drought

8% of expected damage

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Union flood?

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

7paid claims since 1998

$52Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 3 claims, $19K
Late spring severe storms: 1 claim, $8K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dunklin County.

Disasters that hit Union

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UnionDeclared for Dunklin County only

2025

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

$391K to the Township of Union for repairs

2020

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

$53K to the Township of Union for repairs

2019

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$473K to the Township of Union for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

$37K to the Township of Union for repairs

2015

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

$24K to the Township of Union for repairs

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$27K to the Township of Union for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm

$16K to the Township of Union for repairs

Dunklin County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Union

Union and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Cotton Hillmostly earthquakesVery high

St. Francismostly earthquakesVery high

Holcombmostly earthquakesVery high

Freebornmostly earthquakesVery high

Libertymostly earthquakesVery high

Unionmostly earthquakesVery high

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. Union covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Union’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Union. 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 Union total about $3.1M 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.