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Maison Bequette-RibaultPhoto: Andrew Balet · CC BY 2.5
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Ste. Genevieve · FEMA

FEMA puts Ste. Genevieve’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 83% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ste. Genevieve gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns, #211 of 247 in Missouri. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then earthquakes (20%). Flood insurance has paid 778 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 59%Earthquakes 20%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 83%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#211 of 247 in Missouri
Hazard risk
C−#211 of 247
in Missouri · higher than 83% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
59% of expected building damage
Flood claims
778
paid since 1979 · $5.3M
Flooded more than once
75
properties · 17 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
7
of 27 declared for Ste. Genevieve County

What stands out about Ste. Genevieve’s natural hazards

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

778 paid flood claims since 1979$5.3M in all; 75 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 99% of U.S. towns.Moved out of harm’s way40 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared with FEMA grants.Remembers 1993189 flood claims were paid for 1993 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Ste. Genevieve 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

59%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Earthquakes

20%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. census tracts

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts

Strong wind

8%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Winter storms top 1% Ice storms Hurricanes Lightning Wildfire Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 27% of Ste. Genevieve’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), 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 Ste. Genevieve’s grade

River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ste. Genevieve, and Ste. Genevieve’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 8%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Ste. Genevieve sits
Ste. Genevieve
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #211 of 247 in Missouri; higher expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding59%Earthquakes20%Tornadoes8%Everything else12%

The typical Missouri town has higher expected damage than 59% of U.S. towns; within the state, Ste. Genevieve has more expected damage per building than 85% of Missouri towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.6M a year in losses across Ste. Genevieve: $2.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Ste. Genevieve’s 4,999 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Ste. Genevieve flood? Yes: 778 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ste. Genevieve, from FEMA’s records: 340.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 139 claims1980: 1 claim1981: 1 claim1982: 141 claims1983: 134 claims1984: 5 claims1985: 21 claims1986: 66 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 3 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 7 claims1993: 189 claims1994: 5 claims1995: 49 claims1996: 2 claims1997: 2 claims1998: 2 claims1999: 2 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 1 claim2009: 3 claims2010: 1 claim2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 1 claim2016: 0 claims2017: 1 claim2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 1 claim2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims197919821993
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding167 claims · $2.2M
  • The Late spring severe storms1 claim · $2K
778
paid claims since 1979
$5.3M
paid to owners
75
homes flooded more than once
$7K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
Each house = 2 homesFEMA “severe repetitive loss” (17)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Ste. Genevieve County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
40flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Ste. Genevieve

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$9K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs
  2. 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds and Flooding$3K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  3. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$33K aid approved$16K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs
  4. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$35K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs
  5. 2011Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$4K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs
  6. 2009Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$9K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
Show all 7
  1. 2002Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding$970 to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Ste. GenevieveSte. Genevieve County only

Ste. Genevieve County has had 27 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 Ste. Genevieve after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Ste. Genevieve archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Ste. Genevieve 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 ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
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 Ste. Genevieve

Is Ste. Genevieve at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ste. Genevieve has higher expected damage per building than 83% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #211 of 247 in Missouri. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and earthquakes (20%). 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.

Does Ste. Genevieve flood?

Flood insurance has paid 778 claims in Ste. Genevieve since 1979, $5.3M in all, or 340.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 75 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (167).

Is Ste. Genevieve 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 Ste. Genevieve County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Ste. Genevieve?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ste. Genevieve’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 Ste. Genevieve?

By FEMA money that reached Ste. Genevieve, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (2015): 1 households applied for aid, $33K approved, and $16K to the City of Ste. Genevieve for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 167 paid, $2.2M.

Is Ste. Genevieve at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Ste. Genevieve’s rate for it is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ste. Genevieve.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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