Barber County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Barber County's overall risk Very Low (score 40.3 of 100, higher than 40% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 881 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 92.9 | $2.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92.3 | $2.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.7 | $5.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 73.2 | $727K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 52.6 | $108K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 43.4 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 31.2 | $339K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 23.6 | $97K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.9 | $6K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 17.3 | $25K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 17.0 | $89 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 14.4 | $55K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 10.6 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 8.0 | $7K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 426 | 0 | $1.7M | 94th of 105 | 621st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 215 | 0 | $1.7M | 87th of 105 | 2054th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 0 | – | 102nd of 105 | 2215th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 62 | 0 | $10K | 28th of 105 | 976th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 0 | $4.1M | 98th of 105 | 1735th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 32 | 0 | – | 27th of 105 | 477th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 23 | 0 | $28K | 88th of 105 | 2525th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | $32M | 102nd of 105 | 2354th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | – | 94th of 105 | 2590th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $151K | 46th of 105 | 1698th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $37M | 48th of 105 | 1169th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Barber County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.