Photo: JonHarder · CC BY-SA 3.0For ice storms, Hillsboro’s building-damage rate is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hillsboro gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns, #95 of 151 in Kansas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (57%), then ice storms (15%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Hillsboro 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
Ice storms
Tornadoes
Strong wind
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 Hillsboro’s grade
River and rain flooding is 57% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hillsboro, and Hillsboro’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts. Ice storms add 15%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #95 of 151 in Kansas; higher expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Hillsboro’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Kansas town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hillsboro has more expected damage per building than 63% of Kansas towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.3M a year in losses across Hillsboro: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hillsboro flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hillsboro. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Hillsboro isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Marion County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Hillsboro
Disasters that paid out in Hillsboro itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Hillsboro), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Winter Storms$20K to the City of Hillsboro for repairs
Marion County has had 18 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 Hillsboro after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hillsboro archive →Hillsboro and its neighbors
Hillsboro has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro | C+more damage than 60% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Risley Township | — | 322 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| Liberty Township | — | 216 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.
Get ready for what Hillsboro 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
- Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
- Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
- 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.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Hillsboro
Is Hillsboro at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hillsboro has higher expected damage per building than 60% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #95 of 151 in Kansas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (57%) and ice storms (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.
Is Hillsboro 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 Marion County, 3% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hillsboro?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hillsboro’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 Hillsboro?
By FEMA money that reached Hillsboro, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $20K to the City of Hillsboro for repairs.
Is Hillsboro at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (57%), and Hillsboro’s rate for it is higher than 51% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hillsboro.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hillsboro’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.