Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes24%Drought13%Cold waves10%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Washington flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: DeKalb County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for DeKalb County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Washington itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for DeKalb County only

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

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Colfaxmostly inland floodingModerate

Shermanmostly inland floodingModerate

Stewartsvillemostly inland floodingModerate

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. Washington 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 Washington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Washington. 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.