Jefferson County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jefferson County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.5 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 805 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.6 | $8.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.1 | $16M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.2 | $1.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.9 | $224K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | $3.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.4 | $12M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | $4.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | $59M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 | $8.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $339K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | $280K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 53.1 | $72K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 23.7 | $11K |
| Drought | Very Low | 22.3 | $9K |
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 | 312 | 0 | $1.1M | 15th of 114 | 240th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 236 | 1 | $397K | 23rd of 114 | 1065th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 64 | 1 | – | 25th of 114 | 299th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 57 | 1 | – | 61st of 114 | 1691st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 56 | 6 | $9.0M | 67th of 114 | 965th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 44 | 1 | $23M | 20th of 114 | 542nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 10 | 0 | – | 93rd of 114 | 1804th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $10K | 28th of 114 | 2136th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 1 | $90K | 10th of 114 | 672nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 104th of 114 | 2011th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 50th of 114 | 1223rd 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 Jefferson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.