Home › Kansas › Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Kansas

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

Relatively Low overall risk
8th of 105highest risk in Kansas
$27Mexpected losses a year
13federal declarations
1 in 167homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Montgomery County, Kansas has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 73% of US counties. It ranks 8th of 105 counties in Kansas. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, tornadoes and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $27 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $868 per resident. Since 1973 it has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (10 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2019 (severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding,landslides,and mudslides). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (85 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $5.7 million on 311 claims here, including $3.8 million for floods in 2007.

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

Top risks in Montgomery County

$11.4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Tornado

Moderate
$5.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • 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.

Cold wave

Moderate
$5.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow70.5
$11M
TornadoModerate88.5
$6M
Cold waveModerate88.2
$5M
Heat waveModerate81.8
$1M
Strong windModerate83.7
$1M
HailModerate73.8
$565K
LightningModerate74.9
$509K
DroughtModerate71.2
$481K
Ice stormHigh83.6
$469K
Winter weatherModerate85.0
$235K
EarthquakeVery Low48.0
$211K
WildfireLow70.2
$149K
HurricaneVery Low34.9
$18K
LandslideVery Low50.0
$1K

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 relatively high and community resilience is relatively moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Severe Storm8
Flood3
Severe Ice Storm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jun 20, 2019Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And MudslidesMajor disaster
May 28, 2019Tornadoes and FloodingEmergency
Oct 22, 2013Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 9, 2010Severe Winter Storms and SnowstormMajor disaster
Jun 25, 2009Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Jul 9, 2008Severe Storms, Flooding and TornadoesMajor disaster
Dec 12, 2007Severe Winter StormsEmergency
Jul 2, 2007Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 10, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 6, 2002Severe Winter Ice StormMajor disaster
Show all 13
Oct 22, 1986Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jul 13, 1976Severe Storms, High Winds & FloodingMajor disaster
May 2, 1973Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1954

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 803 storm reports in Montgomery County since 1954, with 6 deaths and 5 injuries and about $95.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F3 tornado on March 15, 1982.

37tornadoes
328hail reports, largest 8 inches
322damaging thunderstorm winds
87floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 15, 1982F3–1 / 1
Mar 30, 2006F2Havana1 / 0
Apr 26, 1991F2–0 / 0
May 1, 1954F2–0 / 0
Apr 26, 2026EF2Elk City Lake1 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jul 1, 2007Flash FloodCoffeyville$81M
Feb 28, 2012HailCherryvale$5M
Mar 15, 1982Tornado–$3M
Jun 8, 1998HailIndependence$1M
Jun 8, 1998Thunderstorm WindIndependence$1M
Mar 30, 2006TornadoHavana$1M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 26, 2026. 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 Montgomery County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.6%of homes have federal flood insurance (85 policies)
19.4%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$5.7 millionpaid on 311 flood claims since 1978
2007costliest year, with $3.8 million paid

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 Montgomery County

$101,700median home value (Kansas $217,200, US $332,700)
1958median year homes were built (Kansas 1976, US 1980)
76%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
6.5%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; 15,538 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
Washington County, OKLow32
Labette CountyLow13
Neosho CountyVery Low19
Nowata County, OKVery Low30
Wilson CountyVery Low15
Chautauqua CountyVery Low14
Elk CountyVery Low18

Common questions about Montgomery County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Montgomery County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Montgomery County, about $11.4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Tornado is second at $5.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Montgomery County had?

Montgomery County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1973, including 10 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides in June 2019.

Is Montgomery County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 8th 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 Montgomery County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 167 homes in Montgomery County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Montgomery County had?

NOAA records list 37 tornadoes in Montgomery County since 1950. The strongest was an F3 tornado on March 15, 1982. The weather service has also logged 328 hail reports and 87 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.