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Osborne County Courthouse, Osborne, KSPhoto: Jmorgan1959 · CC BY-SA 3.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Osborne · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Osborne than in 75% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Osborne gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%), then hail (16%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 62%Hail 16%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 75%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 75% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
62% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 15 declared for Osborne County
By hazard

What Osborne 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

62%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Hail

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Strong wind

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms top 4% Wildfire Winter storms top 1% Earthquakes Heat waves top 1% Lightning 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 hail at 33% of Osborne’s expected losses. Hail does little damage to buildings (16.5%), 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 Osborne’s grade

River and rain flooding is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Osborne, and Osborne’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 16%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Osborne sits
Osborne
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding62%Hail16%Tornadoes8%Everything else14%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Osborne: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Osborne’s 1,335 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Ross township (874 residents) and Downs city (800 residents) and Natoma township (316 residents) and Natoma city (302 residents) and Sumner township (172 residents) and Bethany township (162 residents) and Penn township (145 residents) and Alton city (100 residents) and Portis city (86 residents) and Bloom township (80 residents) and Tilden township (72 residents) and Corinth township (40 residents) and Round Mound township (31 residents) and Lawrence township (30 residents) and Delhi township (30 residents) and Jackson township (30 residents) and Hawkeye township (27 residents) and Independence township (24 residents) and Valley township (18 residents) and Winfield township (17 residents) and Hancock township (16 residents) and Victor township (15 residents) and Liberty township (15 residents) and Covert township (15 residents) and Mount Ayr township (15 residents) and Grant township (13 residents) and Kill Creek township (8 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 Osborne flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Osborne

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

  1. 2021Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds$12K to the City of Osborne for repairs
  2. 2013Snowstorm$7K to the City of Osborne for repairs
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$22K to the City of Osborne for repairs
  4. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding17 households applied for aid$34K aid approved$15K to the City of Osborne for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in OsborneOsborne County only

Osborne County has had 15 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 Osborne after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Osborne archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Osborne 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Osborne

Is Osborne at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Osborne has higher expected damage per building than 75% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (62%) and hail (16%). 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 Osborne 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 Osborne?

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

By FEMA money that reached Osborne, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2007): 17 households applied for aid, $34K approved, and $15K to the City of Osborne for repairs.

Is Osborne at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Osborne’s rate for it is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Osborne.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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