Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Kiowa County, KS

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
20097
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2030-05-25. Plan: Region E Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110538), approved 2025-05-26.

Since the plan was approved on 2025-05-26: 1 new hazard declaration (1 incident) and 8 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Drought ($1,976,946 a year), Cold Wave ($1,303,946) and Inland Flooding ($687,473).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2030-05-25
Plan:
Region E Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110538)
Approved:
2025-05-26
Days to expiry:
1,333

What changed since your last plan (approved 2025-05-26)

New federal declarations:
1 new hazard declaration (1 incident): DR-4883-KS (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding)
Storm Events records since approval:
8 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Kiowa CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-05-25Region E Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110538)2025-05-262030-05-251,333this jurisdiction approved 2026-09-03
Sunflower ElectricElectric/Power AuthorityApproved, expires 2030-05-25Region E Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110538)2025-05-262030-05-251,333this jurisdiction approved 2025-09-22
USD 422School/School DistrictPlan 110538 approved 2025-05-26, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleRegion E Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 110538), pending adoption here2025-05-26 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2030-05-25 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

Plan 110538 lists 88 other participants not on this page, 67 of them not covered by it yet (named in the Excel file).

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1DroughtRelatively HighRelatively Highn/a$1,976,946n/a$1,976,9463
2Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$64$48,704$1,255,178$1,303,9463
3Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$687,012$13$449$687,47310
4TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$252,294$2,777$329,679$584,75049
5WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$541,743$496$12,043$554,2820No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
6HailRelatively LowRelatively Low$182,980$291,496$10,913$485,388337
7Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$172,579$40,091$57,710$270,381120Includes 18 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
8Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$41,214n/a$4,686$45,90110
9Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$1,325$75$28,486$29,8860No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$10,606n/a$2,822$13,428Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
11Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$3,218$94$8,483$11,79465
12LightningVery LowVery Low$1,702n/a$10,002$11,7050No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13LandslideVery LowVery Low$2n/a$2$50No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14HurricaneNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0$0$0$00No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local wildfire, lightning and landslide records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: avalanche, coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

NRI rating of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardCensus tractNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9691 (Very Low, 35.6)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9691 (Very Low, 56.3)
Tornadotract 9691 (Very High, 97.8)
Wildfiretract 9691 (Relatively High, 98.4)

A tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9691 is Census Tract 9691). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill3 records, 2000 to 2025 (3 zone-level)1 day to 3 days (median 3 days); 3 with a recorded value3 consecutive days, 2025-02-18 to 2025-02-20, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)3 records, 1996 to 2003 (3 zone-level)1 day to 31 days (median 1 day); 3 with a recorded value31 days (1 month), 1996-03-01 to 1996-03-31, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)396 records, 1955 to 20250.75 in to 5 in (median 1 in); 396 with a recorded value5 in hail, 1996-07-23; same size also recorded on 1996-06-11No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)10 records, 1997 to 2020 (10 zone-level)No damage reported in 10 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)10 records, 1996 to 2025 (1 zone-level)Flash Flood, 2025-07-25, $5,000 property; $5,000 crops (2025 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan. Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)0Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)19 records, 1996 to 2026 (19 zone-level)40 kt (46 mph) to 61 kt (70 mph) (median 52 kt (60 mph)); 17 with a recorded value61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2018-04-18; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2011-04-15; NWS zone KSZ080High Wind, 1998-05-14, $15,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)131 records, 1958 to 202550 kt (58 mph) to 99 kt (114 mph) (median 56 kt (64 mph)); 108 with a recorded value99 kt (114 mph) measured gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2021-03-12Thunderstorm Wind, 1996-08-02, $2,000,000 property; $1,000,000 crops (1996 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)64 records, 1954 to 2025F/EF0 to F/EF5 (median F/EF0); 61 with a recorded valueEF5 tornado, 2007-05-04, 25.8 mi within this county, 3,000 yd wide, $250,000,000 property; crops not reported (2007 dollars), 11 direct deaths, 63 direct injuriesNo event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)0
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)65 records, 1996 to 2026 (65 zone-level)Winter Storm, 1999-03-12, $5,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars); NWS zone KSZ080Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 20 declarations covering 16 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2025-07-222025-05-18DR-4883-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2022-05-252022-03-17DR-4654-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and Straight-Line WindsWinter Weather (primary); also designated: Strong Windno Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2020-03-292020-01-20DR-4504-KSMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countednone placed in this county by FEMA's record; $16,404.82 for this declaration is not placed in any county (see the state page)
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3481-KSEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4504
2018-10-192018-09-01DR-4403-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind$38,417.92
2017-02-242017-01-13DR-4304-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormIce Storm$152,095.77
2013-10-222013-07-22DR-4150-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornado$41,104.06
2012-05-242012-04-14DR-4063-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
2010-08-102010-06-07DR-1932-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornado$39,073.19
2009-06-242009-03-26DR-1848-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and Record and Near Record SnowWinter Weather$22,315.76
2008-07-092008-05-22DR-1776-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding and TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornado$35,380.48
2008-02-012007-12-06DR-1741-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormsWinter Weather$60,581.76
2007-12-122007-12-06EM-3282-KSEmergencySevere Winter StormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-1741
2007-05-062007-05-04DR-1699-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Tornado$57,752,311.64
2007-01-072006-12-28DR-1675-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormWinter Weathernone placed in this county by FEMA's record; $24,861.35 for this declaration is not placed in any county (see the state page)
2005-09-102005-09-01EM-3236-KSEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-02-082005-01-04DR-1579-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and FloodingInland Flooding; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedpart of county
2002-02-062002-01-29DR-1402-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter Ice StormIce StormPA not declared for this county
1973-09-281973-09-28DR-403-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1973-05-021973-05-02DR-378-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1982-06-281982-06-28DR-663-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding
1958-11-061958-11-06DR-88-KSMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1957-09-051957-09-05DR-81-KSMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1955-05-271955-05-27DR-34-KSMajor disasterTornadoTornado

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

Public Assistance not placed in any Kansas county: 4 rows, $183,565.84; listed on the Kansas state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Cold Wave3011001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought3000001996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail3961312001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm10000201996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding101121011996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind1505418511955 to 2026-06-30Includes 18 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado64035711950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather65129501996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2025-07-25Flash Flood$5,000 property; $5,000 crops (2025 dollars)0, 0MULLINVILLE to JOYnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2025-02-18Extreme Cold/Wind Chill$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2025 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ080 (KIOWA), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
2021-03-12Thunderstorm Wind99 kt (114 mph) measured gust$100,000 property; crops not reported (2021 dollars)0, 0HAVILANDB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2018-04-18High Wind61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2018 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ080 (KIOWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2007-05-04TornadoEF5, 25.8 mi within this county, 3,000 yd wide$250,000,000 property; crops not reported (2007 dollars)11, 63MULLINVILLE to GREENSBURGdeaths or injuries recorded
1999-03-12Winter Storm$5,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1999 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ080 (KIOWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
1998-05-14High Windspeed not recorded$15,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1998 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ080 (KIOWA), zone-levelB1-c most damaging: High Wind and Strong Wind
1996-08-02Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph), measurement type not recorded$2,000,000 property; $1,000,000 crops (1996 dollars)0, 0HAVILANDB1-c most damaging: Thunderstorm Wind
1996-07-23Hail5 indamage not reported0, 0BUCKLINB1-c worst recorded: Hail
1996-03-01Droughtdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone KSZ080 (KIOWA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
1986-08-01TornadoF1, 4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 250 yd wide$25,000 property; crops not recorded (1986 dollars)0, 3location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded
1956-04-03TornadoF4, 7.4 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 50 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1956 dollars)0, 6location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (701 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Cold Wave2.42event-days per yearabout 2.42 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)462005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought69.3event-days per yearabout 69.3 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)1,7502000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.000635annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0635%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail10.6events per yearabout 10.6 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)404.6 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.37event-days per yearabout 4.37 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)692005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricane0events per yearnone modeledUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNRI counts hurricane and tropical storm tracks passing within storm-force wind range; federal declarations are in B1-d.
Ice Storm0.589event-days per yearabout 0.589 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)401946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.214event-days per yearabout 0.214 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)61996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.158events per year (modeled)about 1 in 6 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning45.7days per year with a strikeabout 45.7 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind4.89events per yearabout 4.89 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1861986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.766events per yearabout 0.77 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.00673annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.673%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Winter Weather10event-days per yearabout 10 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 23 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (76.7%)1902005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 2025171305.7
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202523300.767
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202562302.07
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202527300.9
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 202512300.4
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202540301.33
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20257300.233
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20251300.0333
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20251300.0333

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

NRI risk score of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardTract scoreNRI score, 0 to 100Rating
Cold Wave99.6Very High
Drought99.7Very High
Earthquake35.6Very Low
Hail99.3Very High
Heat Wave46.1Relatively Low
HurricaneNo Rating
Ice Storm93.9Relatively High
Inland Flooding65.4Relatively Moderate
Landslide56.3Very Low
Lightning54.7Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind98.9Very High
Tornado97.8Very High
Wildfire98.4Relatively High
Winter Weather87.3Relatively High

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its plan
Kiowa CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-05-25FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$5,941,808.280 total; 0 since its plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2025-05-26county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Cold Wave$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$64$48,704$1,255,178under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$43,303,123n/an/a$1,976,946n/a4.57% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$1,878,165,638n/a2,460$10,606n/a$2,8220.000565%
Hail$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$182,980$291,496$10,9130.0182%$0
Heat Wave$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$1,325$75$28,4860.000132%
Hurricane$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$0$0$00%
Ice Storm$1,004,552,061n/a2,453$41,214n/a$4,6860.0041%
Inland Flooding$1,004,442,776$5,50231$687,012$13$449n/a (see note)$10,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$1,596,116n/a4$2n/a$20.00015%
Lightning$1,004,552,061n/a2,453$1,702n/a$10,0020.000169%
Strong Wind$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$172,579$40,091$57,7100.0172%$0$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Tornado$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$252,294$2,777$329,6790.0251%no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Wildfire$304,994,981$29,830,484707$541,743$496$12,0430.178%
Winter Weather$1,004,552,061$93,073,2722,453$3,218$94$8,4830.00032%$0

Totals since 2025-05-26 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 6 county-coded records, 6 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $10,000; 2 zone-level records, 2 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 1 counted declaration.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population2,453
Building value (total, not at risk)$1,004,552,061
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$93,073,272
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$4,255,431
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$1,720,455
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively High
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0000000
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0010100

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Kiowa County2006200000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 0 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Kiowa County, KS: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 20097). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ks/20097/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]