Howard County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Howard County's overall risk Very Low (score 13.8 of 100, higher than 13% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 374 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.5 | $33K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $748K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $257K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.6 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 35.6 | $641K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.3 | $47K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 28.9 | $34K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 23.9 | $99K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40.7 | $189K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.9 | $19K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 23.2 | $3.3M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 15.8 | $159K |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.3 | $56K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 10.1 | $2K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 103 | 0 | $693K | 19th of 114 | 244th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 103 | 0 | $196K | 59th of 114 | 882nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 75 | 0 | $543K | 94th of 114 | 2123rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 32 | 0 | $1.6M | 91st of 114 | 1970th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 24 | 0 | – | 30th of 114 | 914th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 15 | 0 | – | 53rd of 114 | 737th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $3.0M | 111th of 114 | 2224th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | – | 35th of 114 | 1162nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 76th of 114 | 1882nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | – | 103rd of 114 | 2861st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 27th of 114 | 851st 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 Howard County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.