Clay County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.8 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, hail, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.7 | $26M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.4 | $6.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 96.7 | $12M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.2 | $21M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.8 | $43M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.8 | $642K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.7 | $266K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | $845K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 58.8 | $964K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.0 | $14K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 69.1 | $225K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $763K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43.5 | $125K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 463 | 0 | $9.1M | 1st of 114 | 11th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 374 | 0 | $3.8M | 4th of 114 | 223rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 129 | 0 | $8.4M | 12th of 114 | 181st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 2 | $506K | 15th of 114 | 1144th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 0 | $190M | 3rd of 114 | 130th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 22 | 2 | – | 42nd of 114 | 483rd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 29th of 114 | 894th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | – | 14th of 114 | 885th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $5K | 23rd of 114 | 2052nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $1K | 31st of 114 | 1238th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | $14K | 69th of 114 | 1756th 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 Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.