Cole County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cole County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.4 of 100, higher than 73% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.7 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.3 | $6.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $6.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $282K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | $1.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $748K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.5 | $20M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82.3 | $2.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 78.4 | $18K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71.7 | $262K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $1.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 48.3 | $323K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 39.3 | $81K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 17.9 | $7K |
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 | 147 | 0 | $3.5M | 23rd of 114 | 308th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 141 | 0 | $2.1M | 16th of 114 | 808th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 52 | 0 | – | 14th of 114 | 208th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 48 | 1 | $552K | 21st of 114 | 1244th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 42 | 1 | $994K | 55th of 114 | 735th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $214M | 77th of 114 | 1659th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $47K | 3rd of 114 | 355th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 7 | 0 | – | 87th of 114 | 1716th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 79th of 114 | 1562nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $4K | 31st of 114 | 2181st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 53rd of 114 | 1324th 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 Cole County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.