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Winfield, Missouri (42009546525)Photo: Paul Sableman · CC BY 2.0
C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Winfield · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Winfield than in 80% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winfield gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%). Flood insurance has paid 144 claims here since 1979.

River and rain flooding 82%Tornadoes 6%Earthquakes 6%

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 80%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
C−
in Missouri · higher than 80% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
82% of expected building damage
Flood claims
144
paid since 1979 · $3.2M
Flooded more than once
17
properties · 4 “severe repetitive loss”
Disasters paid out here
6
of 24 declared for Lincoln County

What stands out about Winfield’s natural hazards

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

144 paid flood claims since 1979$3.2M in all; 17 properties flooded more than once. More per home than 98% of U.S. towns.Moved out of harm’s way140 flood-prone properties bought out and cleared; 1 flood-prone home bought out and moved with FEMA grants.Remembers 199369 flood claims were paid for 1993 alone, the most of any year.
By hazard

What Winfield 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

82%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 17 years in the area

Earthquakes

6%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 75% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Wildfire Winter storms Ice storms Lightning Hurricanes 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 14% of Winfield’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 Winfield’s grade

River and rain flooding is 82% of the building damage FEMA expects in Winfield, and Winfield’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts. Next is tornadoes at 6% (higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Winfield sits
Winfield
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Winfield’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding82%Tornadoes6%Earthquakes6%Everything else6%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $854K a year in losses across Winfield: $516K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Recent disaster.FEMA’s model looks at expected damage to the buildings standing today. After Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding in 2019, FEMA took 78 aid registrations from Winfield addresses (the town has 626 homes).
A small-area figure. Winfield covers 2 census tracts, combined by where 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 Winfield flood? Yes: 144 flood claims since 1979

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Winfield, from FEMA’s records: 230.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1979: 9 claims1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 8 claims1983: 10 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 2 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 2 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 69 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 3 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 1 claim1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 1 claim2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 1 claim2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 18 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 2 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 6 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 11 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims199320082019
19792026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding60 claims · $1.5M
144
paid claims since 1979
$3.2M
paid to owners
17
homes flooded more than once
$22K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (4)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Lincoln County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
140flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1flood-prone home bought out and moved
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Winfield

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

  1. 2019Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding78 households applied for aid$303K aid approved$111K to the City of Winfield for repairs11 flood claims paid that year
  2. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding6 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
  3. 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$99K to the City of Winfield for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Storms, Flooding, and a Tornado3 households applied for aid$11K aid approved
  5. 2008Severe Storms and Flooding121 households applied for aid$360K aid approved$88K to the City of Winfield for repairs
  6. 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WinfieldLincoln County only

Lincoln 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 Winfield after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Winfield archive →
Next door

Winfield and its neighbors

Winfield has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Old Monroe: not gradedOld MonroeWinfield
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
WinfieldC−more damage than 80%river and rain flooding144
Old Monroe—236 residents; we grade 1,000+

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 Winfield 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Winfield

Is Winfield at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Winfield has higher expected damage per building than 80% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (82%) and tornadoes (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Winfield flood?

Flood insurance has paid 144 claims in Winfield since 1979, $3.2M in all, or 230.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 98% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 17 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (60).

Is Winfield 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 Lincoln County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Winfield?

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

By FEMA money that reached Winfield, Severe Storms and Flooding (2008): 121 households applied for aid, $360K approved, and $88K to the City of Winfield for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 60 paid, $1.5M.

Is Winfield at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (82%), and Winfield’s rate for it is higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Winfield.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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