Smith County, Kansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Smith County's overall risk Very Low (score 21.2 of 100, higher than 21% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail. Its storm record holds 710 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.8 | $3.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 70.9 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 67.8 | $213K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $69K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 39.2 | $899K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 34.1 | $139K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 40.9 | $30K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 22.2 | $81K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 15.4 | $172K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 12.9 | $50 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 12.7 | $14K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 10.1 | $1.4M |
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 | 271 | 0 | $48M | 92nd of 105 | 592nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 159 | 0 | $23M | 86th of 105 | 2048th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 101 | 1 | $1.4M | 15th of 105 | 1351st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 55 | 0 | $34M | 28th of 105 | 747th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 0 | $74M | 74th of 105 | 1261st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 30 | 0 | $66K | 40th of 105 | 1287th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 16 | 0 | $10M | 86th of 105 | 2499th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 0 | $527K | 48th of 105 | 742nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 0 | $356K | 21st of 105 | 1450th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 64th of 105 | 2161st of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $18K | 72nd of 105 | 2201st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $4K | 43rd of 105 | 1108th 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 Smith County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.