Butler County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Butler County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.4 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 2,021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.0 | $661K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.9 | $2.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.3 | $676K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.6 | $5.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | $9.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 89.1 | $2.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.0 | $2.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | $3.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 65.0 | $527K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 67.7 | $15M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.3 | $270K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 39.2 | $793 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 37.5 | $167K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 29.8 | $18K |
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 | 895 | 0 | $26M | 66th of 105 | 348th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 667 | 1 | $68M | 32nd of 105 | 1399th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 142 | 2 | $24M | 26th of 105 | 1272nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 90 | 28 | $612M | 53rd of 105 | 1000th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 2 | $17M | 104th of 105 | 2301st of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 66 | 0 | $27K | 23rd of 105 | 454th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 49 | 0 | $5.4M | 55th of 105 | 1254th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 1 | $94K | 82nd of 105 | 2034th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 14 | 3 | – | 56th of 105 | 1491st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $220K | 54th of 105 | 1880th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 105th of 105 | 2719th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 32nd of 105 | 1036th 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 Butler County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.