McDonald County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates McDonald County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 64.0 of 100, higher than 63% 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 779 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 | 86.3 | $701K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $16M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $3.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 69.2 | $532K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 74.5 | $9K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.5 | $1.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72.8 | $230K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 54.5 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 45.4 | $58K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 36.5 | $150K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36.5 | $166K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.7 | $150K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 31.5 | $17K |
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 | 227 | 5 | $20M | 11th of 114 | 155th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 207 | 0 | $24M | 21st of 114 | 286th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 188 | 0 | $1.6M | 27th of 114 | 1142nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 47 | 0 | $531K | 66th of 114 | 1743rd of 3,077 |
| Drought | 36 | 0 | $18M | 11th of 114 | 662nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 0 | – | 11th of 114 | 315th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $9.2M | 40th of 114 | 1089th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 1 | – | 86th of 114 | 1098th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 0 | $6.8M | 63rd of 114 | 1418th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 2 | 0 | – | 96th of 114 | 2761st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $14K | 57th of 114 | 1955th 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 McDonald County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.