Home › Kansas › Meade County

Meade County, Kansas

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
67th of 105highest risk in Kansas
$8Mexpected losses a year
13federal declarations
Photo: Aleatoric Consonance, CC BY 2.0

Meade County, Kansas has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 84% of US counties. It ranks 67th of 105 counties in Kansas. The costliest hazards here are drought, wildfires and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $8.0 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $1,987 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (11 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2024 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding). No homes here carry federal flood insurance.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Meade County

$3.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 99 times a year.
  • Check local water restrictions.
  • Choose drought-tolerant plants.
$1.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 125 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.
$794,709 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
DroughtHigh95.4
$4M
WildfireLow87.6
$1M
TornadoLow32.9
$795K
HailLow69.1
$704K
Inland floodingVery Low2.9
$636K
Cold waveLow29.9
$544K
Strong windLow25.1
$313K
Ice stormLow32.5
$49K
LightningVery Low9.8
$43K
EarthquakeVery Low16.4
$26K
Winter weatherVery Low17.2
$19K
Heat waveVery Low6.3
$11K
LandslideVery Low4.3
$7

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Meade County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm9
Flood1
Hurricane1
Severe Ice Storm1
Snowstorm1

Most recent

Sep 24, 2024Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
May 25, 2022Severe Winter Storms and Straight-Line WindsMajor disaster
Feb 17, 2022Severe Storms and Straight Line WindsMajor disaster
Jun 20, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 24, 2017Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Jul 20, 2015Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
Oct 22, 2013Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 24, 2009Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record SnowMajor disaster
Dec 12, 2007Severe Winter StormsEmergency
Jan 7, 2007Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Show all 13
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
May 6, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
May 2, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Kansas also had 10 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1952

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 746 storm reports in Meade County since 1952 and about $9.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on September 25, 1973.

57tornadoes
482hail reports, largest 4.75 inches
170damaging thunderstorm winds
15floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 25, 1973F3–0 / 0
Apr 9, 1994F2Plains0 / 0
Jun 21, 1958F2–0 / 0
Jun 17, 1955F2–0 / 0
Jun 9, 2005F2Meade0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Apr 9, 1994TornadoPlains$5M
May 24, 1998Thunderstorm WindMissler$2M
May 5, 2019Flash FloodFowler$1M
May 24, 2015TornadoPlains$750K
May 15, 2003TornadoPlains$300K
Apr 14, 1976Tornado–$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Aug 10, 2025. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Meade County

Check your address flood zone ›
0%of homes have federal flood insurance (0 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 2 flood claims since 1978
1985costliest year

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Meade County

$148,900median home value (Kansas $217,200, US $332,700)
1959median year homes were built (Kansas 1976, US 1980)
83%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
6.8%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 1,898 housing units.

Compare in Kansas

All 105 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Johnson CountyHighInland flooding
Sedgwick CountyHighInland flooding
Shawnee CountyModerateInland flooding
Wyandotte CountyModerateInland flooding
Douglas CountyLowInland flooding
Leavenworth CountyLowInland flooding
Riley CountyLowInland flooding
Butler CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Ford CountyLow14
Seward CountyVery Low10
Gray CountyVery Low12
Beaver County, OKVery Low26
Haskell CountyVery Low12
Clark CountyVery Low15

Common questions about Meade County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Meade County?

Drought has the highest expected yearly losses in Meade County, about $3.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Wildfire is second at $1.3 million.

How many federal disasters has Meade County had?

Meade County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 11 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding in September 2024.

Is Meade County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 67th highest of 105 in Kansas. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Meade County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Meade County had?

NOAA records list 57 tornadoes in Meade County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on September 25, 1973. The weather service has also logged 482 hail reports and 15 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.