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Burlingame kansas post office 2009Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Burlingame · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Burlingame

Burlingame isn’t graded for hazard risk: FEMA’s tract figures aren’t matched to Burlingame yet. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2007.

Flood claims
2
paid since 2007 · $50K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 22 declared for Osage County
By hazard

What Burlingame 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

72%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Hail

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Wildfire Ice storms Winter storms top 4% Earthquakes Lightning Cold waves Heat waves top 2% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts ice storms at 17% of Burlingame’s expected losses. Ice storms do little damage to buildings (2.3%), 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 Burlingame flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2007

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Burlingame, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2007: 2 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2007
20072026
2
paid claims since 2007
$50K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$25K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Osage County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Burlingame

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

  1. 2013Snowstorm$6K to the City of Burlingame for repairs
  2. 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$25K to the City of Burlingame for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding2 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  4. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding40 households applied for aid$90K aid approved$2K to the City of Burlingame for repairs
  5. 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$49K to the City of Burlingame for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BurlingameOsage County only

Osage County has had 22 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Burlingame archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Burlingame 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Burlingame

Does Burlingame flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Burlingame since 2007, $50K in all.

Is Burlingame 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 Osage County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Burlingame?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Burlingame’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 Burlingame?

By FEMA money that reached Burlingame, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2007): 40 households applied for aid, $90K approved, and $2K to the City of Burlingame for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Burlingame.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Burlingame’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.