Bates County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Bates County's overall risk Very Low (score 30.5 of 100, higher than 30% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 469 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 68.2 | $818K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65.2 | $402K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 62.9 | $587K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.1 | $249K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.1 | $946K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52.8 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $51K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 41.6 | $51K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $4.2M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44.5 | $179K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 41.0 | $629 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 22.0 | $6K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 16.7 | $51K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14.9 | $4K |
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 | 192 | 0 | $11M | 82nd of 114 | 1206th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 125 | 1 | $1.1M | 110th of 114 | 2338th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 45 | 0 | $956K | 111th of 114 | 2235th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 0 | $4.8M | 69th of 114 | 1562nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 26 | 0 | – | 109th of 114 | 2179th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 22 | 0 | – | 77th of 114 | 1454th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 17 | 1 | – | 74th of 114 | 989th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | – | 85th of 114 | 1632nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | $12M | 93rd of 114 | 2164th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | – | 114th of 114 | 2949th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $3K | 73rd of 114 | 2162nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Bates County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.