Douglas County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Douglas County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.8 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, tornado, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,068 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 | Very High | 96.7 | $1.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.4 | $12M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.9 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.5 | $2.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.4 | $1.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.3 | $2.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $3.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 72.8 | $20M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 70.3 | $1.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.4 | $6K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.7 | $209K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.8 | $90K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44.5 | $275K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 385 | 0 | $17M | 4th of 105 | 265th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 375 | 0 | $9.8M | 5th of 105 | 36th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 89 | 1 | $1.6M | 3rd of 105 | 810th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 76 | 0 | $12M | 8th of 105 | 491st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 41 | 1 | $139M | 3rd of 105 | 163rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 27 | 0 | $473K | 1st of 105 | 128th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 22 | 0 | – | 3rd of 105 | 543rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $23K | 38th of 105 | 1226th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 57th of 105 | 1507th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $712K | 30th of 105 | 1543rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $15K | 66th of 105 | 1167th 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 Douglas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.