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Main Street, WestphaliaPhoto: Stl66dmk · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Westphalia · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Westphalia

Westphalia isn’t graded for hazard risk: Westphalia has 415 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1979.

Flood claims
10
paid since 1979 · $77K
Flooded more than once
2
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
2
of 24 declared for Osage County
By hazard

What Westphalia 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

84%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 80% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 13 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Ice storms top 4% Hail Winter storms top 4% Strong wind Wildfire Landslides top 3% Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves
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 14% of Westphalia’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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Westphalia flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Westphalia, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 1 claim1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 1 claim1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 1 claim1996: 1 claim1997: 0 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 1 claim2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 1 claim2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 1 claim2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims197919821985
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $1K
10
paid claims since 1979
$77K
paid to owners
2
homes flooded more than once
$8K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Osage County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Westphalia

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$767 aid approved
  2. 2007Severe Winter Storms$1K to the City of Westphalia for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WestphaliaOsage County only

Osage County has had 24 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 Westphalia after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Westphalia archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Westphalia 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 ↗
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 Westphalia

Does Westphalia flood?

Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Westphalia since 1979, $77K in all. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).

Is Westphalia 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 Osage County, 8% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Westphalia?

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

By FEMA money that reached Westphalia, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $1K to the City of Westphalia for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $1K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Westphalia.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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