Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to St. Joseph

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Buchanan County Courthouse St Joseph MissouriPhoto: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
B+Hazard risk
Natural hazards in St. Joseph · FEMA

FEMA puts St. Joseph’s expected hazard damage per building below that of 73% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph gets a B+ for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns, #17 of 247 in Missouri. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%), then tornadoes (18%). Flood insurance has paid 147 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 68%Tornadoes 18%Hail 9%

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 73%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#17 of 247 in Missouri
Hazard risk
B+#17 of 247
in Missouri · lower than 73% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
68% of expected building damage
Flood claims
147
paid since 1978 · $7.4M
Flooded more than once
19
properties
Disasters paid out here
10
of 22 declared for Buchanan County

What stands out about St. Joseph’s natural hazards

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

Lower expected damage than 73% of U.S. townsFEMA’s model of yearly storm and flood damage per dollar of building.147 paid flood claims since 1978$7.4M in all; 19 properties flooded more than once.Made safer with FEMA grants13 storm safe rooms built with FEMA grants.Remembers 198445 flood claims were paid for 1984 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What St. Joseph 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

68%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts

Hail

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves top 4% 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 cold waves at 18% of St. Joseph’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.1%), 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 St. Joseph’s grade

River and rain flooding is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. Joseph, and St. Joseph’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 18% (higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts).

Where St. Joseph sits
St. Joseph
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B+ #17 of 247 in Missouri; lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns (21,298).

St. Joseph’s residents live in 25 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding68%Tornadoes18%Hail9%Everything else5%

The typical Missouri town has higher expected damage than 59% of U.S. towns; within the state, St. Joseph has less expected damage per building than 93% of Missouri towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $27.4M a year in losses across St. Joseph: $13.5M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 25 census tracts by where St. Joseph’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does St. Joseph flood? Yes: 147 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. Joseph, from FEMA’s records: 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 1 claim1979: 0 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 4 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 45 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 2 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 2 claims1993: 26 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 2 claims1996: 1 claim1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 1 claim2004: 0 claims2005: 3 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 3 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 21 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 1 claim2016: 2 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 15 claims2020: 11 claims2021: 5 claims2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 1 claim2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198419932011
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding26 claims · $473K
  • The Late spring storms21 claims · $2.5M
147
paid claims since 1978
$7.4M
paid to owners
19
homes flooded more than once
$50K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Buchanan County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
13storm safe rooms built
Disasters

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. Joseph

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

  1. 2021Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding$231K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs5 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding29 households applied for aid$52K aid approved$370K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
  3. 2019Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$482K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
  4. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$112K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  5. 2011Flooding47 households applied for aid$93K aid approved$1.3M to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
  6. 2011Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm$54K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
Show all 10
  1. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$169K to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
  2. 2007Severe Winter Storms$1.2M to the City of St. Joseph for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Storms and Flooding46 households applied for aid$75K aid approved
  4. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding7 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in St. JosephBuchanan County only

Buchanan County has had 22 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 St. Joseph after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the St. Joseph archive →
Next door

St. Joseph and its neighbors

St. Joseph has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Washington Township: hazard risk B−Washington TownshipSt. Joseph
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
St. JosephB+less damage than 73%river and rain flooding147
Washington TownshipB−less damage than 52%river and rain flooding77

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what St. Joseph 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 ↗
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 St. Joseph

Is St. Joseph at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. Joseph has lower expected damage per building than 73% of U.S. towns: B+ for hazard risk, #17 of 247 in Missouri. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (68%) and tornadoes (18%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does St. Joseph flood?

Flood insurance has paid 147 claims in St. Joseph since 1978, $7.4M in all, or 4.4 per 1,000 homes, more than 57% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 19 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (26).

Is St. Joseph 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 Buchanan County, 0.7% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in St. Joseph?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for St. Joseph’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. Joseph?

By FEMA money that reached St. Joseph, Flooding (2011): 47 households applied for aid, $93K approved, and $1.3M to the City of St. Joseph for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 26 paid, $473K.

Is St. Joseph at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and St. Joseph’s rate for it is lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. Joseph.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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