Cowley County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cowley County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.1 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,585 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.0 | $7.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.4 | $640K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 91.6 | $1.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.0 | $5.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $892K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66.5 | $110K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 64.4 | $364K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.5 | $1.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $7.7M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $169K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.3 | $2K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40.4 | $151K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 21.0 | $6K |
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 | 727 | 0 | $686K | 56th of 105 | 316th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 514 | 0 | $32M | 27th of 105 | 1255th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 89 | 77 | $129M | 32nd of 105 | 714th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 67 | 0 | $16M | 53rd of 105 | 1844th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 62 | 4 | $3.4M | 101st of 105 | 2196th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 49 | 0 | $5.4M | 49th of 105 | 1074th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 0 | – | 51st of 105 | 830th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 0 | $290K | 74th of 105 | 1956th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 13 | 0 | – | 46th of 105 | 1366th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $444K | 9th of 105 | 674th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | – | 93rd of 105 | 2586th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Cowley County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.