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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Olpe · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Olpe

Olpe isn’t graded for hazard risk: Olpe has 565 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 23 declared for Lyon County
By hazard

What Olpe 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

60%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 5% Hail Strong wind Winter storms top 3% Earthquakes Heat waves top 1% Lightning Cold waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Olpe flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

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

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Olpe

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

  1. 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$6K to the City of Olpe for repairs
  2. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  3. 2005Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding$7K to the City of Olpe for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in OlpeLyon County only

Lyon County has had 23 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 Olpe after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Olpe archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Olpe 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 ↗
Wildfire
  • 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.
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 ↗
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 Olpe

Is Olpe 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 Lyon County, 5% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Olpe?

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

By FEMA money that reached Olpe, Severe Winter Storms, Heavy Rains, and Flooding (2005): $7K to the City of Olpe for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Olpe.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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