FEMA Records
28
High volume
Kansas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Barton County, KS
28 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 28
- FEMA declarations
- 25
- Major disasters
- 60
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Barton County. Its 28 FEMA declarations are 56% above the Kansas county mean and exceed the count for 81% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 40%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 40%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 28
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 513
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Barton County compare?
Barton County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
28 Top 19% higher than 81% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Barton County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Kansas county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Barton County is led by Tornado (about $4.9M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Hail carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Barton County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 513 claims and $2.3M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $4.5K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Barton County's 28 federal records stand 56% above the Kansas county mean of 18.0. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 60.3/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $18.4M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Hail stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 11 times per year here, based on 400 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 28 entries for Barton County, including 25 Major Disaster records, 56% above the Kansas county mean. Across the 61-year span, that works out to 0.5 declarations a year. Severe Storm leads the file with 19 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
76 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Barton County, KS · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) High
20/30
28 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.4x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
19/25
28 declarations (1.6x state county average of 18)
Major Disaster Share Very High
22/25
25 of 28 declarations are major disasters (89%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Barton County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Kansas Avg
+56%
State avg: 18.0
vs. National Avg
+35%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 61 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Barton County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
89%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
60
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Barton County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | an average of 11 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | an average of 5.9 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 13 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.1 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,427 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 8.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 2.8 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55 modeled event-days per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 46 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,647 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 19
Flood 3
Snowstorm 2
Biological 2
Severe Ice Storm 1
Hurricane 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Barton County's record, 68% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 25 89.3%
of all 28 declarations
Emergency - 3 10.7%
of all 28 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
Show 6 earlier declaration years
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1981 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 2 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 28 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 28 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4897 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-12-19 |
| 4869 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND WILDFIRES | DR | Severe Storm | 2025-05-21 |
| 4811 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-08-20 |
| 4747 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-10-26 |
| 4654 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Snowstorm | 2022-05-25 |
| 4640 | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-02-17 |
| 4504 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-29 |
| 3481 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4449 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING,LANDSLIDES,AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-06-20 |
| 4417 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-02-25 |
| 4304 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2017-02-24 |
| 4230 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-07-20 |
| 4150 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-10-22 |
| 4112 | SNOWSTORM | DR | Snowstorm | 2013-04-26 |
| 4010 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-07-29 |
| 1848 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND RECORD AND NEAR RECORD SNOW | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-06-24 |
| 1776 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-07-09 |
| 1741 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-02-01 |
| 3282 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | EM | Severe Storm | 2007-12-12 |
| 1699 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-06 |
Show 8 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3236 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1535 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-03 |
| 1366 | SEVERE STORMS, HAIL, FLOODING AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-04-27 |
| 1000 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-07-22 |
| 644 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING & TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 1981-07-18 |
| 403 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1973-09-28 |
| 378 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-05-02 |
| 201 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1965-06-23 |
Storm Events in Kansas
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Barton County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 8,265 | 0 | 9 | $24.2M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,987 | 3 | 34 | $30.6M |
| High Wind | 1,553 | 1 | 7 | $10.2M |
| Drought | 1,272 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 1,037 | 6 | 9 | $35.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
513
Total Paid
$2.3M
Avg Per Claim
$4.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 60.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$18.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Ice Storm Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Hurricane No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Hail
Hail is among the most expensive hazards in the model relative to how little it threatens life. It concentrates on roofs, vehicles and crops, and a single severe storm can generate an insurance loss across a metropolitan area without a single injury.
For Barton County the two measures on this page point the same way: Hail is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively High), and Severe Storm declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Barton County's closest FEMA peer: Towner County, ND
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Barton County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Barton County shows 28 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Barton County: 25 of 28 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Barton County: NRI composite 60.3 (Relatively Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Barton County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Barton County's NFIP claims file (513 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Barton County?
The most common disaster type in Barton County is Severe Storm, with 19 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Snowstorm (2), Biological (2).
How does Barton County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Kansas average?
FEMA lists 28 declaration records for Barton County. That is 56% above the Kansas county mean of 18.0. Its count is also 35% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Barton County received?
Barton County has received 25 major disaster declarations, representing 89% of all 28 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Barton County filed?
Barton County has 513 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $2.3M in payments, with an average of $4.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Barton County?
No. In Barton County, Hail has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Tornado leads Expected Annual Loss at about $4.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Barton County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Barton County was 2008, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Barton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Barton County, Kansas has an overall risk score of 60.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively High; on community resilience, Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $18.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Barton County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Barton County as of the latest release is Hail (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Ice Storm (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts hail here at an average of 11 times per year, drawn from 400 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Barton County
Barton County, KS has 28 federal declaration records, 56% more than the Kansas county mean of 18; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 25 of 28 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Kansas overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Kansas mean and the totals for 81% of 3,266 U.S. counties. Most-disaster rankings
- The large NFIP claims file and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records; the guide explains where they overlap and where they do not. Disaster-data guide
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.