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CHazard risk
Natural hazards in Eureka · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Eureka than in 71% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eureka gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (46%), then ice storms (29%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1998.

River and rain flooding 46%Ice storms 29%Tornadoes 8%

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

more than 71%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C
in Kansas · higher than 71% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
46% of expected building damage
Flood claims
2
paid since 1998 · $5K
Disasters paid out here
7
of 22 declared for Greenwood County
By hazard

What Eureka 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

46%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Ice storms

29%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Winter storms top 3% Earthquakes Lightning Heat waves top 1% Cold waves 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 cold waves at 8% of Eureka’s expected losses. Cold waves do 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Eureka’s grade

River and rain flooding is 46% of the building damage FEMA expects in Eureka, and Eureka’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 29%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Eureka sits
Eureka
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C higher expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Eureka’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding46%Ice storms29%Tornadoes8%Everything else17%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.8M a year in losses across Eureka: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Eureka’s 2,332 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Eureka flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1998

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Eureka, from FEMA’s records: 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1998: 2 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 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 claims1998
19982026
2
paid claims since 1998
$5K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$3K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Greenwood County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
1storm safe room built
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Eureka

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,landslides,and Mudslides$5K to the City of Eureka for repairs
  2. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$8K to the City of Eureka for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes$3K to the City of Eureka for repairs
  4. 2009Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow$11K to the City of Eureka for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding3 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  6. 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$8K to the City of Eureka for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2002Severe Winter Ice Storm$35K to the City of Eureka for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in EurekaGreenwood County only

Greenwood County has had 22 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 Eureka after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Eureka archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Eureka 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 ↗
Ice storms
  • Ice brings down trees and lines: plan for days without power.
  • Run a generator outside, far from doors and windows.
  • Keep sand or salt by the door.
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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Eureka

Is Eureka at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Eureka has higher expected damage per building than 71% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (46%) and ice storms (29%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Eureka flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Eureka since 1998, $5K in all, or 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Eureka 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 Greenwood County, 0.0% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Eureka?

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

By FEMA money that reached Eureka, Severe Winter Ice Storm (2002): $35K to the City of Eureka for repairs.

Is Eureka at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (46%), and Eureka’s rate for it is lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Eureka.

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