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Natural hazard risk in City of St. Louis, Missouri

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 98.6 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$359.2 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1973
23[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$10.1 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
4[4]

For City of St. Louis, FEMA rates overall natural hazard risk Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 98.6 out of 100 in its December 2025 National Risk Index[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are heat wave, tornado and earthquake[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's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from natural hazards in City of St. Louis at $359.2 million a year[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid, and it does not predict next year's losses[7]. Heat wave carries the largest estimate at $172.4 million a year[8], followed by inland flooding at $90.9 million[9] and earthquake at $58.3 million[10]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively High (score 71.8), which describes how susceptible social groups are to the harm hazards cause[11]. FEMA also rates community resilience Relatively High (score 60.9), which describes the ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[12].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
Heat WaveVery High$172.4 million[8]
TornadoVery High$28.3 million[13]
EarthquakeRelatively High$58.3 million[10]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$90.9 million[9]
Strong WindRelatively High$2.3 million[14]
LightningRelatively High$874,000[15]
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$4.5 million[16]
HailRelatively Moderate$1.1 million[17]
Ice StormRelatively High$434,000[18]
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$162,000[19]
LandslideVery Low$827[20]
HurricaneVery Low$13,000[21]
WildfireVery Low$831[22]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity[23].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

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

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High71.8[11]
Community resilienceRelatively High60.9[12]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in City of St. Louis Relatively High compared with other US counties, with an estimated Expected Annual Loss of $90.9 million a year[9]. OpenFEMA data show 135 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 97,837 residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[24]. From 1978 to 2026, 739 NFIP claims were filed for losses in the city and the program paid $10.1 million in total[3]. The year with the most paid claims was 1993, with 212[3].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[9] Relatively High, $90.9 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[24] 135 of 97,837 homes
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 739 filed, $10.1 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[25]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

For City of St. Louis, OpenFEMA lists 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards since 1973[2]. Severe storms account for 13 of them[2]. The most recent, DR-4877-MO, was declared on 2025-06-09 for severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding[26]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center database records 4 tornadoes that touched the city from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1[4]. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2013-04-10[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include City of St. Louis, since 1973
Incident type Declarations
Severe Storm[2] 13
Flood[2] 5
Severe Ice Storm[2] 3
Hurricane[2] 1
Tornado[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4877-MO[26] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2025-06-09
DR-4665-MO[26] Severe Storms And Flooding 2022-08-08
DR-4451-MO[26] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding 2019-07-09
DR-4250-MO[26] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2016-01-21
EM-3374-MO[26] Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding 2016-01-02

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.

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

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

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Questions people ask

Is City of St. Louis at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively High compared with other US counties[9]. NFIP paid $10.1 million on claims for losses in the city from 1978 to 2026[3].
How often do tornadoes hit City of St. Louis?
FEMA rates tornado risk Very High compared with other US counties[13]. NOAA's tornado database records 4 tornadoes that touched the city from 1950 to 2024, none rated EF3 or stronger[4].
Is City of St. Louis at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively High compared with other US counties, with an estimated Expected Annual Loss of $58.3 million a year[10].
How many federal disasters have been declared in City of St. Louis?
OpenFEMA lists 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the city since 1973, 16 of them major disaster declarations[2].
How do I check if a St. Louis address is in a flood zone?
Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[25]. County ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[25].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in City of St. Louis is $359.2 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 98.3). Of this, buildings account for $138.6 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 23 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include City of St. Louis since 1973 (16 major disaster, 7 emergency or fire management). By incident type: severe storm 13, flood 5, severe ice storm 3, hurricane 1, tornado 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 739 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in City of St. Louis, 561 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $10.1 million 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): 4 recorded tornadoes touched City of St. Louis. The strongest were rated EF1 (most recent of them on 2010-12-31). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2013-04-10. 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 City of St. Louis is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 98.6 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 City of St. Louis are heat wave (99.8, Very High), tornado (98.8, Very High), earthquake (98.4, 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. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $172.4 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 15.05 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $90.9 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.29 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $58.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0053 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for City of St. Louis is Relatively High (score 71.8). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for City of St. Louis is Relatively High (score 60.9). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $28.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.06 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 94.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 6.25 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 88.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $874,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 53.18 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.68 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 87.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 5.29 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 83.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $434,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.55 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 79.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $162,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 8.74 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 46.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $827 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 32.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the Atlantic... FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in City of St. Louis: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 2.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $831 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for City of St. Louis: 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... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  24. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 135 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in City of St. Louis, out of 97,837 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.1%. OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  25. 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
  26. 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.