Seward County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Seward County's overall risk Very Low (score 42.3 of 100, higher than 42% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 904 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 97.3 | $3.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 83.6 | $952K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.0 | $2.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.9 | $762K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 56.9 | $267K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 88.4 | $966K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 59.0 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 58.2 | $76K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $104K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 41.1 | $144K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.8 | $54K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 14.8 | $1.6M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 4.6 | $6 |
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 | 407 | 0 | $3.6M | 7th of 105 | 56th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 222 | 0 | $14M | 24th of 105 | 1191st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 106 | 0 | $130K | 2nd of 105 | 356th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 0 | – | 21st of 105 | 1419th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 0 | $28M | 20th of 105 | 608th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 28 | 0 | – | 22nd of 105 | 451st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 13 | 0 | $1.8M | 79th of 105 | 2389th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 66th of 105 | 2323rd of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $125K | 11th of 105 | 692nd of 2,972 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 95th of 105 | 2312th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $80K | 65th of 105 | 2055th 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 Seward County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.