Natural hazards · Wildwood

Wildwood, MO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wildwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1993. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wildwood?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding41%Heat waves32%Earthquakes8%Hail6%Cold waves5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Wildwood faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Heat waves

32% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 15 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesIce 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 Wildwood flood?

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

17paid claims since 1993

$640Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Late spring severe storms: 3 claims, $150K
Early winter storms: 2 claims, $246K
Hurricane Ike: 1 claim, $9K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wildwood 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

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Wildwood

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WildwoodDeclared for St. Louis County only

2025

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

4 households applied for aid

2025

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

9 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2022

Severe Storms and Flooding

20 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2017

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $536 aid approved $23K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2015

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

6 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $40K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado

8 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

$95K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storms

$53K to the City of Wildwood for repairs

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

Around Wildwood

Wildwood and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eurekamostly inland floodingHigh

Clarkson Valleymostly inland floodingModerate

Wildwoodmostly inland floodingModerate

Ellisvillemostly heat wavesModerate

Chesterfieldmostly 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. Wildwood covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wildwood’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wildwood. 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 Wildwood total about $39.1M 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.