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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Kelley · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Kelley

Kelley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Kelley has 382 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 19 declared for Story County
By hazard

What Kelley faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

65%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

28%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms Lightning Heat waves top 2% Hurricanes Wildfire Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 17% of Kelley’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Kelley flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Kelley. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Kelley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Story County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Kelley

Disasters that paid out in Kelley itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Kelley), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2020Severe Storms11 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
  2. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes37 households applied for aid$72K aid approved$11K to the City of Kelley for repairs
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$196 aid approved$4K to the City of Kelley for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding8 households applied for aid$229 aid approved$821 to the City of Kelley for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in KelleyStory County only

Story County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Kelley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Kelley archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Kelley faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Kelley

Is Kelley in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Story County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Kelley?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Kelley’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Kelley?

By FEMA money that reached Kelley, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2010): 37 households applied for aid, $72K approved, and $11K to the City of Kelley for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Kelley.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Kelley’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.