Natural disaster risk in Missouri, by county
All 115 counties in Missouri, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
0
Very high risk
3
Relatively high risk
11
Relatively moderate risk
56
Relatively low risk
45
Very low risk
Highest overall risk: St. Louis County (relatively high, score 99.3). Lowest: Schuyler County (very low, score 3.6).
Top hazards in Missouri
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | 39 of 115 | 61.0 |
| Strong wind | 20 of 115 | 55.8 |
| Lightning | 11 of 115 | 48.4 |
| Tornado | 9 of 115 | 62.1 |
| Winter weather | 9 of 115 | 52.0 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Louis County | Relatively high 99.3 | Cold wave (very high) |
| 2 | St. Louis City | Relatively high 98.7 | Heat wave (very high) |
| 3 | Jackson County | Relatively high 96.5 | Hail (very high) |
| 4 | St. Charles County | Relatively moderate 92.6 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 5 | Jefferson County | Relatively moderate 90.5 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 6 | Greene County | Relatively moderate 90.1 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 7 | Clay County | Relatively moderate 89.8 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 8 | Camden County | Relatively moderate 88.4 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 9 | Boone County | Relatively moderate 85.8 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 10 | Cape Girardeau County | Relatively moderate 85.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 11 | Jasper County | Relatively moderate 85.6 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 12 | Taney County | Relatively moderate 84 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 13 | Franklin County | Relatively moderate 83.5 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 14 | Butler County | Relatively moderate 83.1 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 15 | Dunklin County | Relatively low 80.1 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 16 | Scott County | Relatively low 80.1 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 17 | St. Francois County | Relatively low 78.5 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 18 | Pemiscot County | Relatively low 78 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 19 | Howell County | Relatively low 77.8 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 20 | Newton County | Relatively low 77.5 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 21 | Stone County | Relatively low 76.7 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 22 | Morgan County | Relatively low 75.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 23 | Barry County | Relatively low 75.1 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 24 | Cass County | Relatively low 74.9 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 25 | Buchanan County | Relatively low 74.4 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 26 | Stoddard County | Relatively low 74.3 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 27 | Cole County | Relatively low 73.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 28 | New Madrid County | Relatively low 71.9 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 29 | Platte County | Relatively low 71.4 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 30 | Iron County | Relatively low 69.5 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 31 | Washington County | Relatively low 67.8 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 32 | Lincoln County | Relatively low 67.1 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | Wayne County | Relatively low 67 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 34 | Benton County | Relatively low 66.8 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 35 | Christian County | Relatively low 66.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 36 | Lawrence County | Relatively low 66.2 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 37 | Laclede County | Relatively low 66 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 38 | McDonald County | Relatively low 64 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 39 | Callaway County | Relatively low 63.9 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 40 | Reynolds County | Relatively low 63.9 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 41 | Texas County | Relatively low 62.4 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 42 | Pettis County | Relatively low 62 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 43 | Pulaski County | Relatively low 60.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 44 | Shannon County | Relatively low 57.5 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 45 | Wright County | Relatively low 57.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 46 | Mississippi County | Relatively low 57.2 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 47 | Ripley County | Relatively low 57 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 48 | Clinton County | Relatively low 56.2 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 49 | Warren County | Relatively low 55.3 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 50 | Miller County | Relatively low 55.1 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 51 | Crawford County | Relatively low 55 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 52 | Johnson County | Relatively low 54.9 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 53 | Ste. Genevieve County | Relatively low 54.6 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 54 | Polk County | Relatively low 54.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 55 | Carter County | Relatively low 53.9 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 56 | Phelps County | Relatively low 53.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 57 | Henry County | Relatively low 52.8 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 58 | Dent County | Relatively low 52.5 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 59 | Lafayette County | Relatively low 52.5 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 60 | Saline County | Relatively low 51.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 61 | Audrain County | Relatively low 51.4 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 62 | Madison County | Relatively low 50.9 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 63 | Oregon County | Relatively low 48.7 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 64 | Marion County | Relatively low 47.9 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 65 | Perry County | Relatively low 46.2 | Strong wind (relatively high) |
| 66 | Vernon County | Relatively low 46 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 67 | Nodaway County | Relatively low 45.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 68 | Webster County | Relatively low 44.6 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 69 | Ray County | Relatively low 44.4 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 70 | Barton County | Relatively low 43.6 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 71 | Dallas County | Very low 41.7 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 72 | Pike County | Very low 40.3 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 73 | Montgomery County | Very low 38.3 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 74 | Macon County | Very low 36.8 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 75 | Randolph County | Very low 35.8 | Tornado (relatively moderate) |
| 76 | Ozark County | Very low 35.7 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 77 | Scotland County | Very low 33 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 78 | Osage County | Very low 32.9 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 79 | Carroll County | Very low 32.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 80 | Gasconade County | Very low 32 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 81 | Linn County | Very low 31.2 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 82 | Moniteau County | Very low 31 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 83 | Bates County | Very low 30.5 | Strong wind (relatively moderate) |
| 84 | Daviess County | Very low 30.1 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 85 | Chariton County | Very low 29.4 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 86 | Harrison County | Very low 29.3 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 87 | Gentry County | Very low 28.8 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 88 | Adair County | Very low 28.7 | Tornado (relatively moderate) |
| 89 | Grundy County | Very low 27.9 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 90 | Lewis County | Very low 27.4 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 91 | Bollinger County | Very low 26.3 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 92 | Cedar County | Very low 26 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 93 | St. Clair County | Very low 25.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 94 | Douglas County | Very low 23.7 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 95 | Hickory County | Very low 23.5 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 96 | Dade County | Very low 23.3 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 97 | Livingston County | Very low 23 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 98 | Andrew County | Very low 22.1 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 99 | Clark County | Very low 21.8 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 100 | Atchison County | Very low 21.7 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 101 | Monroe County | Very low 21.2 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 102 | Knox County | Very low 21 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 103 | Maries County | Very low 20.8 | Ice storm (relatively moderate) |
| 104 | Cooper County | Very low 20.4 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 105 | DeKalb County | Very low 16 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 106 | Shelby County | Very low 15.9 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 107 | Holt County | Very low 15.7 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 108 | Caldwell County | Very low 14.4 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 109 | Ralls County | Very low 14.1 | Heat wave (relatively low) |
| 110 | Howard County | Very low 13.8 | Landslide (relatively low) |
| 111 | Mercer County | Very low 12.3 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 112 | Sullivan County | Very low 10.1 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 113 | Putnam County | Very low 8.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 114 | Worth County | Very low 8.2 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 115 | Schuyler County | Very low 3.6 | Landslide (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in Missouri has the highest natural disaster risk?
St. Louis County has the highest composite risk score in Missouri in FEMA's National Risk Index: 99.3, rated relatively high.
Which county in Missouri has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Schuyler County has the lowest composite risk score in Missouri: 3.6, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Missouri most at risk from?
Across Missouri, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are ice storm, strong wind, lightning, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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