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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Riley · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Riley

Riley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Riley has 943 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Flood insurance
05% off
Community discount (class 9)
By hazard

What Riley 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

44%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 68% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Wildfire

35%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 3 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Ice storms Strong wind Hail Winter storms Earthquakes Lightning Heat waves top 0% Landslides Cold waves
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 Riley flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Riley. 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
Community discount05% off flood insurance

Riley is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Riley County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Riley

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

  1. 2007Severe Winter Storms$39K to the City of Riley for repairs
  2. 2007Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$22K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in RileyRiley County only

Riley County has had 14 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 Riley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Riley archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Riley 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.
  • Riley residents get 05% off flood insurance.
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 Riley

Is Riley 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 Riley County, 32% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Riley?

Riley is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9), which takes 05% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Riley?

By FEMA money that reached Riley, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $39K to the City of Riley for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Riley.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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