Phelps County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Phelps County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 53.7 of 100, higher than 53% 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 678 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 | 86.6 | $716K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $3.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | $3.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.8 | $190K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 59.6 | $348K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.3 | $759K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.5 | $1.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 69.4 | $6K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $7.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 38.5 | $843K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34.4 | $151K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 57.9 | $79K |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.7 | $26K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 26.3 | $11K |
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 | 203 | 0 | $75K | 53rd of 114 | 796th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 178 | 0 | $2.5M | 53rd of 114 | 1527th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 119 | 0 | $8.6M | 45th of 114 | 507th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 1 | $7.8M | 76th of 114 | 1813th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 2 | $27M | 44th of 114 | 1186th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 32 | 0 | – | 23rd of 114 | 478th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 23 | 0 | $1.3M | 59th of 114 | 1255th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $7.3M | 75th of 114 | 1520th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 99th of 114 | 1242nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $372K | 19th of 114 | 916th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $6K | 88th of 114 | 2706th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $17K | 22nd of 114 | 705th 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 Phelps County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.