FEMA puts Derby’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 74% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Derby gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns, #132 of 151 in Kansas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%), then tornadoes (11%). Flood insurance has paid 30 claims here since 1987.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Derby’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Derby 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
Tornadoes
Wildfire
Hail
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.
What’s behind Derby’s grade
River and rain flooding is 73% of the building damage FEMA expects in Derby, and Derby’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 11%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
C #132 of 151 in Kansas; higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Derby’s residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Kansas town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Derby has more expected damage per building than 87% of Kansas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $12.6M a year in losses across Derby: $7.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Derby flood? Sometimes: 30 flood claims since 1987
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Derby, from FEMA’s records: 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 54% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Thunderstorms1 claim · $5K
Derby is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Sedgwick County.The storms Derby remembers
None of the 13 disasters declared for Sedgwick County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Derby itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 199516 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20194 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20222 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Sedgwick County has had 13 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.
Old photos of Derby after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Derby archive →Derby and its neighbors
Derby is 3rd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gypsum Township | C+more damage than 59% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Rockford Township | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Derby | Cmore damage than 74% | river and rain flooding | 30 |
| Riverside Township | Dmore damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Derby faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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.
- 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.
- Derby residents get 15% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Derby
Is Derby at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Derby has higher expected damage per building than 74% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #132 of 151 in Kansas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (73%) and tornadoes (11%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Derby flood?
Flood insurance has paid 30 claims in Derby since 1987, $150K in all, or 2.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 54% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Thunderstorms (1).
Is Derby 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 Sedgwick County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Derby?
Derby is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7), which takes 15% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Derby?
By flood claims, Thunderstorms: 1 paid, $5K.
Is Derby at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (73%), and Derby’s rate for it is higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Derby.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Derby’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.