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StevensCoCHPhoto: Spacini · CC BY-SA 3.0
A−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Hugoton · FEMA

FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in Hugoton than in 84% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hugoton gets an A− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns, #3 of 151 in Kansas. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (38%), then tornadoes (22%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 38%Tornadoes 22%Hail 20%

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

less than 84%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#3 of 151 in Kansas
Hazard risk
A−#3 of 151
in Kansas · lower than 84% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
38% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 8 declared for Stevens County

What stands out about Hugoton’s natural hazards

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

Lower expected damage than 84% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.Made safer with FEMA grants2 storm safe rooms built with FEMA grants.
By hazard

What Hugoton 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

38%of expected building damage
Well below average · lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tornadoes

22%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms top 2% Lightning Cold waves Heat 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 drought at 11% of Hugoton’s expected losses. Drought does 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 Hugoton’s grade

River and rain flooding is 38% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hugoton, and Hugoton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 22%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Hugoton sits
Hugoton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

A− #3 of 151 in Kansas; lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding38%Tornadoes22%Hail20%Everything else20%

The typical Kansas town has higher expected damage than 54% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hugoton has less expected damage per building than 99% of Kansas towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.5M a year in losses across Hugoton: $744K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Hugoton’s 3,747 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 Hugoton flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Hugoton. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

What’s been done with FEMA grants
2storm safe rooms built
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Hugoton

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

  1. 2017Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$94K to the City of Hugoton for repairs
  2. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$18K to the City of Hugoton for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow$11K to the City of Hugoton for repairs
  4. 2006Severe Winter Storm$11K to the City of Hugoton for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in HugotonStevens County only

Stevens County has had 8 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Stevens County, 2011–2011.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Hugoton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Hugoton 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 Hugoton

Is Hugoton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hugoton has lower expected damage per building than 84% of U.S. towns: A− for hazard risk, #3 of 151 in Kansas. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (38%) and tornadoes (22%). 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 Hugoton 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.

How much is flood insurance in Hugoton?

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

By FEMA money that reached Hugoton, Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2017): $94K to the City of Hugoton for repairs.

Is Hugoton at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (38%), and Hugoton’s rate for it is lower than 96% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hugoton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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