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Natural hazard risk in Pratt County, Kansas

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Low (score 54.8 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$16.4 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1973
17[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$2,009[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
73[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Pratt County, Kansas as Relatively Low, with a score of 54.8 out of 100[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in this county are drought, hail and cold wave[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA rates risk by comparing each county with all other US counties[7]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Pratt County at $16.4 million a year[1]. The largest hazard-type estimates are cold wave at $6.7 million a year, drought at $2.8 million a year and tornado at $2.2 million a year[8]. Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, and FEMA says the index does not predict next year's damage[7]. FEMA rates social vulnerability as Relatively Moderate (score 54.9)[9]. FEMA rates community resilience as Very High (score 80.2)[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
DroughtRelatively High$2.8 million[11]
HailRelatively Moderate$1.7 million[12]
Cold WaveRelatively High$6.7 million[13]
WildfireRelatively Low$389,000[14]
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$208,000[15]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.2 million[16]
Strong WindRelatively Low$494,000[17]
Heat WaveVery Low$140,000[18]
EarthquakeVery Low$34,000[19]
LightningVery Low$50,000[20]
Inland FloodingVery Low$1.7 million[21]
LandslideVery Low$10[22]
Winter WeatherVery Low$3,915[23]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[24].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate54.9[9]
Community resilienceVery High80.2[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding in Pratt County as Very Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 15.1 out of 100[21]. OpenFEMA lists 12 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 4,402 residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[25]. OpenFEMA's NFIP claims data shows 12 claims for losses in the county from 1978 to 2026, 5 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $2,009 in total[3]. To learn about a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[26].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[21] Very Low, $1.7 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[25] 12 of 4,402 homes
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 12 filed, $2,009 paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[26]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pratt County since 1973[2]. Severe storms account for 12 of them[2]. The most recent is DR-4883-KS, declared 2025-07-22[27]. NOAA's tornado database records 73 tornadoes that touched the county from 1950 to 2024, and the most recent was on 2019-05-26[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pratt County, since 1973
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 12
Severe Ice Storm[2] 2
Hurricane[2] 1
Flood[2] 1
Snowstorm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4883-KS[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2025-07-22
DR-4449-KS[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides 2019-06-20
DR-4417-KS[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2019-02-25
DR-4403-KS[27] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2018-10-19
DR-4304-KS[27] Severe Winter Storm 2017-02-24

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Tornadoes

Before

  • Learn the warning signs: a rotating funnel cloud, an approaching cloud of debris or a loud roar like a freight train.
  • Sign up for community warning systems and learn what your local sirens sound like.
  • Pick a safe spot, such as a safe room built to FEMA criteria or an ICC 500 storm shelter, and practice getting there.
  • Include your pets in the household emergency plan.
  • Keep supplies, food, water and medication in case you have to stay home for a long time.

During

  • Go right away to the safe place you picked in advance.
  • Protect your head and neck with your arms and stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.
  • No place in a car is fully safe. If you can get lower than the road, leave the car and lie down there.

Source: Ready.gov, tornadoes

Questions people ask

Is Pratt County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding in Pratt County as Very Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 15.1[21]. FEMA says a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low[7].
Is Pratt County at risk of tornadoes?
FEMA rates tornado risk in Pratt County as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with a score of 68.5[16]. NOAA's tornado database records 73 tornadoes that touched the county from 1950 to 2024[4].
Is Pratt County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Pratt County as Very Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 23.5[19].
How many disasters have been declared in Pratt County?
OpenFEMA lists 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pratt County since 1973[2].
How can I check my flood zone?
County ratings do not show the flood zone of one address[26]. Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[26].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Pratt County is $16.4 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Low, score 53.8). Of this, buildings account for $3.8 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $8.4 million... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 17 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pratt County since 1973 (15 major disaster, 2 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 12, severe ice storm 2, hurricane 1, flood 1, snowstorm 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 12 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Pratt County, 5 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $2,009 in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 73 recorded tornadoes touched Pratt County. The strongest were rated EF3 (most recent of them on 2008-05-23). 7 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2019-05-26. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Pratt County is Relatively Low, with a Risk Index score of 54.8 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Pratt County are drought (96.0, Relatively High), hail (91.0, Relatively Moderate), cold wave (90.4, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Pratt County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are cold wave ($6.7 million a year), drought ($2.8 million a year), tornado ($2.2 million a year), out of $16.4 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Pratt County is Relatively Moderate (score 54.9). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Pratt County is Very High (score 80.2). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 55.36 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 91.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.7 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 10.9 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 90.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6.7 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.32 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 80.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $389,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0029 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 70.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $208,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.8 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 68.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.83 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 49.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $494,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 5.61 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 32.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $140,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 6.79 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 23.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $34,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0007 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 16.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $50,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 46.59 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 15.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.7 million a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.61 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 6.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $10 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Pratt County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 5.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3,915 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 9.26 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Pratt County: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  25. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 12 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Pratt County, out of 4,402 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.3%. OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  26. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  27. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.