Cherokee County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cherokee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.7 of 100, higher than 53% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, ice storm. Its storm record holds 874 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 | 93.2 | $2.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.3 | $590K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.3 | $2.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 73.6 | $149K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 67.7 | $869K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 67.0 | $760K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.4 | $1.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 58.5 | $346K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 54.8 | $7.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 30.9 | $108K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 56.3 | $65K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 52.2 | $294K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 38.1 | $555 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 26.2 | $10K |
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 | 269 | 0 | $19M | 10th of 105 | 769th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 259 | 0 | $1.5M | 30th of 105 | 198th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 165 | 0 | $6.1M | 3rd of 105 | 188th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 48 | 1 | $8.7M | 67th of 105 | 1796th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 46 | 4 | $58M | 6th of 105 | 231st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | $81M | 17th of 105 | 668th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | – | 46th of 105 | 681st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $32M | 15th of 105 | 1377th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | $142K | 42nd of 105 | 1152nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $84K | 94th of 105 | 2442nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $267K | 1st of 105 | 506th 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 Cherokee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.