Polk County, Missouri: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 54.5 of 100, higher than 54% 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 987 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 | $582K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.8 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 76.5 | $997K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.5 | $2.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $475K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 71.2 | $117K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 65.6 | $349K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72.2 | $177K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.3 | $444K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.6 | $479K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 57.9 | $7.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 49.8 | $814K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.4 | $274 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 24.1 | $7K |
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 | 306 | 0 | $20M | 13th of 114 | 190th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 269 | 0 | $12M | 19th of 114 | 909th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 222 | 1 | $18M | 17th of 114 | 231st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 57 | 0 | $2.2M | 58th of 114 | 1671st of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 38 | 0 | $37M | 26th of 114 | 712th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | $26M | 26th of 114 | 854th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 33 | 0 | – | 6th of 114 | 270th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $7.5M | 72nd of 114 | 1471st of 3,076 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 97th of 114 | 1202nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $13K | 84th of 114 | 2688th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $118K | 21st of 114 | 690th 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 Polk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.