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Halstead Santa Fe DepotHalstead Santa Fe Depot · Photo: Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company · Public domain
C+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Halstead · FEMA

On FEMA’s figures, Halstead faces about as much hazard damage per building as the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Halstead gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%), then tornadoes (15%). Flood insurance has paid 175 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 67%Tornadoes 15%Hail 6%

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 55%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 55% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
67% of expected building damage
Flood claims
175
paid since 1979 · $2.1M
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
4
of 19 declared for Harvey County

What stands out about Halstead’s natural hazards

From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.

175 paid flood claims since 1979$2.1M in all; 1 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 98% of U.S. towns.Made safer with FEMA grants17 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 1 storm safe room built with FEMA grants.Remembers 199399 flood claims were paid for 1993 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Halstead 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

67%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

15%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 5% Earthquakes Winter storms top 3% Wildfire 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 tornadoes at 29% of Halstead’s expected losses. Tornadoes do little damage to buildings (15.0%), 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 Halstead’s grade

River and rain flooding is 67% of the building damage FEMA expects in Halstead, and Halstead’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 15%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Halstead sits
Halstead
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C+ higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding67%Tornadoes15%Hail6%Everything else12%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across Halstead: $778K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Halstead’s 2,179 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Burrton city (861 residents) and Lakin township (358 residents) and Lake township (170 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. 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 Halstead flood? Yes: 175 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Halstead, from FEMA’s records: 182.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 64 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 2 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 9 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 99 claims1994: 1 claim1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 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 claims197919871993
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding95 claims · $1.6M
175
paid claims since 1979
$2.1M
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$12K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Harvey County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
17flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe room built
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Halstead

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

  1. 2024Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$159K to the City of Halstead for repairs
  2. 2013Snowstorm$2K to the City of Halstead for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$7K to the City of Halstead for repairs
  4. 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$64K to the City of Halstead for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HalsteadHarvey County only

Harvey 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Harvey County, 2022–2022.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Halstead archive →
Next door

Halstead and its neighbors

Halstead has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Halstead Township: not gradedLakin Township: not gradedHalstead TownshipLakin TownshipHalstead
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
HalsteadC+more damage than 55%river and rain flooding175
Halstead Township—347 residents; we grade 1,000+
Lakin Township—484 residents; we grade 1,000+

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Halstead 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 ↗
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 Halstead

Is Halstead at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Halstead has higher expected damage per building than 55% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (67%) and tornadoes (15%). 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 Halstead flood?

Flood insurance has paid 175 claims in Halstead since 1979, $2.1M in all, or 182.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (95).

Is Halstead 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 Harvey County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.0% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Halstead?

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

By FEMA money that reached Halstead, Severe Storm, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2024): $159K to the City of Halstead for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 95 paid, $1.6M.

Is Halstead at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (67%), and Halstead’s rate for it is higher than 57% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Halstead.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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