Dent County, MO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Dent County has experienced 18 federally declared disasters since 1976, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Dent County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, heat wave, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 44% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Dent County has been designated in 18 declarations since 1976, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (9), severe ice storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And A Tornado |
| 2008 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
Showing the 10 most recent of 18 total declarations since 1976.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 60 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 32.7 | 55 | 2 | $16.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 78.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.9 | 7 | 0 | $465K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 28 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.1 | 45 | 0 | $330K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 38.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.1 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 35.2 | 1 | 0 | $40K |
| Drought | Very Low | 29.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Dent County ranks in the 66th percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 66th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 74th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 76th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 19th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 54th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 69th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 66th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 81.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 105 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 43 in 2016–20 vs 62 in 2021–25 (+44% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Dent County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Dent County, Missouri are cold wave, heat wave, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Dent County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Dent County has received 18 federal disaster declarations since 1976, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (9 declarations).
Has Dent County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Dent County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1976.
How does Dent County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Washington County, MO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Phelps County, MO has the lowest (Relatively Low). Dent County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Dent County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Dent County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Dent County's composite score of 53 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 53% of US counties.