Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Thomas County, KS

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
20193
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: No approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligible.

Update: FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoption.

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Hail ($1,557,345 a year), Drought ($1,554,140) and Inland Flooding ($1,360,628).

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:
No approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligible
Plan:
none
Approved:
none
Expires:
none
Update underway:
FEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoption

Not yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

Not yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

What changed since your last plan

Not available. No approved plan on record, so there is no approval date to count from.

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

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county: 16 rows, in the section "Plan clock: Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county" on the following pages.

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

Plan clock

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Thomas CountyCountyNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Brewster cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Colby cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Gem cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Menlo cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Rexford cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Brewster Unified School District 314School/School DistrictNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Colby Public Schools Unified School District 315School/School DistrictNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Golden Plains Unified School District 316School/School DistrictNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Citizen Medical CenterHospital/Medical FacilityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Colby community CollageCollege/UniversityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Colby Health & RehabHospital/Medical FacilityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Family Center HealthcareHospital/Medical FacilityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Heartland Christian SchoolSchool/School DistrictNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Prairie Senior Living CenterHospital/Medical FacilityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolSchool/School DistrictNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligiblenonenonenoneFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

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 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1HailRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$523,680$997,994$35,671$1,557,345408
2DroughtRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderaten/a$1,554,140n/a$1,554,14068
3Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$1,346,031$6,939$7,658$1,360,62837
4TornadoRelatively LowRelatively Low$763,434$4,596$321,139$1,089,17035
5Cold WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$482$19,649$474,683$494,81415Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
6Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$76,785$19,467$242,719$338,971403Includes 86 High Wind and 3 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
7Winter WeatherRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$76,204$529$99,114$175,84779
8LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$6,698n/a$119,220$125,9183
9Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$560$14$40,661$41,2340No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$26,419n/a$6,612$33,030Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
11Ice StormVery LowRelatively Low$21,192n/a$9,176$30,3682
12WildfireVery LowVery Low$7,368$40$328$7,7360No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13LandslideVery LowVery Low$6n/a$1$70No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3236-KS names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No 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 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.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Earthquaketract 9531 (Relatively Low, 41.8); tract 9534 (Very Low, 29.8)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9534 (Very Low, 55.4); tract 9531 (Very Low, 41.1)
Tornadotract 9531 (Very High, 98.3); tract 9534 (Relatively High, 87.4)
Wildfiretract 9534 (Relatively Low, 77.7); tract 9531 (Relatively Low, 76.7)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9531 is Census Tract 9531). 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 chill14 records, 1997 to 2024 (14 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 2 days); 12 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 1997-04-09 to 1997-04-13, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed). Cold/Wind Chill records from May to September (a frost night, not a cold wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage1 record, 2004 (1 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)68 records, 2000 to 2026 (68 zone-level)28 days to 670 days (median 108 days); 8 with a recorded value670 days (about 22.0 months), 2012-07-01 to 2014-05-01, a run of 23 consecutive Storm Events drought records, 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)493 records, 1956 to 20260.75 in to 4.25 in (median 1 in); 493 with a recorded value4.25 in hail, 2010-07-12Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Colby city (152 records), Brewster city (67 records), Gem city (19 records), Rexford city (16 records), Menlo city (14 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
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)2 records, 2007 to 2017 (2 zone-level)No damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)37 records, 1996 to 2026 (2 zone-level)Flood, 2009-09-07, $145,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Colby city (18 records), Rexford city (7 records), Brewster city (3 records). Zone-level records (2) 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)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)3 records, 2002 to 2009Lightning, 2007-04-24, $50,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Colby city (3 records).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)89 records, 1996 to 2026 (89 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 96 kt (110 mph) (median 53 kt (61 mph)); 89 with a recorded value96 kt (110 mph) estimated gust, High Wind, 2021-12-15; NWS zone KSZ014High Wind, 2012-05-26, $174,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)363 records, 1957 to 202636 kt (41 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 56 kt (64 mph)); 342 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph) measured gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2026-06-20; same speed and measurement basis also recorded on 2001-06-13, 2022-04-22Thunderstorm Wind, 2024-07-01, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2024 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Colby city (129 records), Brewster city (37 records), Rexford city (16 records), Gem city (15 records), Menlo city (5 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)61 records, 1951 to 2026F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF0); 47 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1995-05-12, 18 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 1,500 yd wide, $700,000 property; $3,500,000 crops (1995 dollars), 1 direct injuryEvent records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Colby city (11 records), Brewster city (10 records), Gem city (2 records), Rexford city (2 records), Menlo city (1 record).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)0Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)79 records, 1996 to 2025 (79 zone-level)Winter Storm, 2006-12-29, $4,200,000 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars); NWS zone KSZ014Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone 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: 13 declarations covering 10 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

No approved plan on record, so there is no approval date to count from.

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-09-012026-06-18DR-4943-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadonot yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)within last 5 years
2024-09-242024-06-26DR-4824-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono Public Assistance recordedwithin last 5 years
2023-10-262023-07-14DR-4747-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Wind; Tornadono 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
2017-06-162017-04-28DR-4319-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingWinter Weather (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Strong Wind$9,089.17
2008-07-092008-05-22DR-1776-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding and TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
2007-12-122007-12-06EM-3282-KSEmergencySevere Winter StormsWinter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
2007-01-072006-12-28DR-1675-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormWinter Weather$574,536.49
2006-01-262005-11-27DR-1626-KSMajor disasterSevere Winter StormWinter Weather$7,991.86
2005-09-102005-09-01EM-3236-KSEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2004-08-032004-06-12DR-1535-KSMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesInland Flooding; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1993-07-221993-06-28DR-1000-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 Wave15401996 to 2026-06-30Includes 1 Frost/Freeze record.
Drought682301996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail4936501955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm2001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding37671996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Lightning3001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind45211341955 to 2026-06-30Includes 86 High Wind and 3 Strong Wind records.
Tornado611051950 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire0001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Winter Weather791041996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-06-20Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph) measured gustdamage not reported0, 0COLBYwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2021-12-15High Wind96 kt (110 mph) estimated gustdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-levelwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2016-12-16Winter Weatherdamage not reported2, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2012-07-01Drought$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2010-07-12Hail4.25 in$1,000,000 property; $9,900,000 crops (2010 dollars)0, 0COLBY MUNI ARPT to SPICAB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2009-12-22Winter Weather$155,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2009 dollars)1, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2009-09-07Flood$145,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars)0, 0SPICAB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2007-04-24Lightning$50,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars)0, 0COLBYB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2006-12-29Winter Storm$4,200,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2006 dollars)0, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2006-08-07TornadoF1, 5 mi within this county, 25 yd wide$125,000 property; crops not reported (2006 dollars)0, 4COLBYdeaths or injuries recorded
1997-04-09Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone KSZ014 (THOMAS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1995-05-12TornadoF2, 18 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 1,500 yd wide$700,000 property; $3,500,000 crops (1995 dollars)0, 1Colby to MenloB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (1,210 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 Wave5.26event-days per yearabout 5.26 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 11 of 30 years)event-days in 11 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (36.7%)1002005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought82.2event-days per yearabout 82.2 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 11 of 30 years)event-days in 11 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (36.7%)2,1212000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00035annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.035%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail8.62events per yearabout 8.62 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)327.7 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave1.79event-days per yearabout 1.79 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)322005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Storm0.124event-days per yearabout 0.124 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 2 of 30 years)event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)91946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.857event-days per yearabout 0.857 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 12 of 30 years)event-days in 12 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (40%)241996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.112events per year (modeled)about 1 in 9 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning44.8days per year with a strikeabout 44.8 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind4.71events per yearabout 4.71 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)1791986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.975events per yearabout 0.97 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.000157annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.0157%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 Weather13.4event-days per yearabout 13.4 days per yearHighly likely (from Storm Events: 27 of 30 years)event-days in 27 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (90%)2542005-11-12 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 2025210307
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202541301.37
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025221307.37
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202563302.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202523300.767
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 202511300.367

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

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Cold Wave2 of 269.681.192.7Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 1
Drought2 of 296.097.899.5Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 1
Earthquake2 of 229.835.841.8Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Hail2 of 298.999.399.7Very High 2
Heat Wave2 of 210.427.644.8Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Hurricane0 of 2Not Applicable 2
Ice Storm2 of 263.874.585.3Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Inland Flooding2 of 245.054.564.0Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 1
Landslide2 of 241.148.255.4Very Low 2
Lightning2 of 275.987.198.2Very High 1, Relatively Moderate 1
Strong Wind2 of 289.193.798.2Very High 1, Relatively High 1
Tornado2 of 287.492.898.3Very High 1, Relatively High 1
Wildfire2 of 276.777.277.7Relatively Low 2
Winter Weather2 of 298.199.099.8Very High 2

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Hail: Agriculture is 64% of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

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.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

This county has 2 census tracts; the minimum, median and maximum come from those 2.

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
Thomas CountyCountyNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$129,249.020 total; no approved plan
Brewster cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$10,539.50117 total; no approved plan
Colby cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$164,389.24313 total; no approved plan
Gem cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded36 total; no approved plan
Menlo cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded20 total; no approved plan
Rexford cityCityNo approved plan on record. Approvable pending adoption, not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$5,528.1641 total; no approved 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.

No approved plan on record, so there is no approval date to count from.

  • 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 plancounty-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$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$482$19,649$474,683under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$110,248,184n/an/a$1,554,140n/a1.41% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$6,588,082,062n/a7,930$26,419n/a$6,6120.000401%
Hail$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$523,680$997,994$35,6710.0152%
Heat Wave$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$560$14$40,661under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$3,450,422,113n/a7,924$21,192n/a$9,1760.000614%
Inland Flooding$3,453,431,122$702,375134$1,346,031$6,939$7,658n/a (see note)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$5,745,571n/a14$6n/a$10.000106%
Lightning$3,454,848,739n/a7,930$6,698n/a$119,2200.000194%
Strong Wind$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$76,785$19,467$242,7190.00222%
Tornado$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$763,434$4,596$321,1390.0221%
Wildfire$669,842,239$58,923,5181,331$7,368$40$3280.0011%
Winter Weather$3,454,848,739$323,154,1197,930$76,204$529$99,1140.00221%

Totals since the plan: not available. No approved plan on record, so there is no approval date to count from.

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
Population7,930
Building value (total, not at risk)$3,454,848,739
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$323,154,119
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$5,452,225
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)$1,356,983
Social vulnerability ratingVery 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
Thomas County2006120000000
Brewster city2003920000000
Colby city2003500000000
Gem city2008770000000
Menlo city2006960000000
Rexford city2004520000000

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, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the 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). Thomas County, KS: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 20193). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ks/20193/ 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]

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.