Newton County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Newton County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.5 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,055 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 | Very High | 96.0 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.7 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $2.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.9 | $5.9M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.5 | $954K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.0 | $18M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $781K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.0 | $156K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.6 | $1.7M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 60.1 | $314K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 77.3 | $297K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.9 | $738K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.7 | $1K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.7 | $27K |
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 | 345 | 0 | $416K | 8th of 114 | 97th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 271 | 0 | $6.8M | 17th of 114 | 825th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 244 | 2 | $11M | 5th of 114 | 107th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 17 | $225M | 8th of 114 | 203rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 3 | $58M | 72nd of 114 | 1795th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | $39M | 17th of 114 | 774th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 0 | – | 12th of 114 | 346th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $9.3M | 67th of 114 | 1454th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 95th of 114 | 1188th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $118K | 83rd of 114 | 2679th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $70K | 43rd of 114 | 1571st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 33rd of 114 | 984th 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 Newton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.