Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0More hazard damage per building is expected in St. John than in 66% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. John gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns, #145 of 247 in Missouri. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%), then earthquakes (30%). Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1979.
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 St. John 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
Earthquakes
Hail
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 St. John’s grade
River and rain flooding is 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. John, and St. John’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 10%, at a rate in the top 6% of U.S. census tracts.
C #145 of 247 in Missouri; higher expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. John’s residents live in 6 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Missouri town has higher expected damage than 59% of U.S. towns; within the state, St. John has more expected damage per building than 59% of Missouri towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.9M a year in losses across St. John: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does St. John flood? Sometimes: 12 flood claims since 1979
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. John, from FEMA’s records: 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Ike3 claims · $9K
- The Late spring severe storms1 claim · $3K
St. John isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: St. Louis County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. John
Disasters that paid out in St. John itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of St. John), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Storms and Flooding$26K to the City of St. John for repairs
- 2007Severe Winter Storms and Flooding$26K to the City of St. John for repairs
St. Louis County has had 30 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 St. John after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. John archive →St. John and its neighbors
St. John is 7th of the 7 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overland | Bless damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 56 |
| Berkeley | B−less damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 11 |
| Charlack | B−more damage than 52% | earthquakes | — |
| Woodson Terrace | B−more damage than 53% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Breckenridge Hills | C+more damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 153 |
| Bel-Ridge | C+more damage than 58% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| St. John | Cmore damage than 66% | river and rain flooding | 12 |
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 St. John 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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.
- 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 St. John
Is St. John at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. John has higher expected damage per building than 66% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #145 of 247 in Missouri. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (55%) and earthquakes (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. John flood?
Flood insurance has paid 12 claims in St. John since 1979, $22K in all, or 4.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 56% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Ike (3).
Is St. John 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 St. Louis County, 34% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in St. John?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. John’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 St. John?
By FEMA money that reached St. John, Severe Storms and Flooding (2022): $26K to the City of St. John for repairs. By flood claims, Hurricane Ike: 3 paid, $9K.
Is St. John at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and St. John’s rate for it is higher than 56% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. John.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. John’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.