Buchanan County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Buchanan County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.4 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 673 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 High | 85.2 | $1.7M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | $1.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.8 | $3.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $7.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.2 | $5.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 78.0 | $702K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 73.6 | $164K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.3 | $633K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.2 | $262K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.0 | $25K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 68.5 | $13M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 57.8 | $78K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 45.0 | $219K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 251 | 0 | $2.2M | 6th of 114 | 340th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 178 | 0 | $37K | 18th of 114 | 268th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 121 | 1 | $1.9M | 4th of 114 | 106th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 44 | 1 | $36K | 35th of 114 | 1395th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 0 | $26M | 23rd of 114 | 646th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 18 | 0 | – | 45th of 114 | 1066th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 16 | 1 | – | 47th of 114 | 636th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | – | 16th of 114 | 904th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | – | 25th of 114 | 2073rd 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 Buchanan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.