St. Louis County, MO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
St. Louis County has experienced 34 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
St. Louis County's highest-rated hazards are heat wave, hail, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 118% 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. St. Louis County has been designated in 34 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (16), flood (10), severe ice storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2022 | Flood | Severe Storms 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 |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
Showing the 10 most recent of 34 total declarations since 1973.
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 | 61.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 99.1 | 31 | 3 | $50.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very High | 99.9 | 21 | 3 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.1 | 17 | 0 | $7.5M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 45.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very High | 99.7 | 163 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 89.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 98.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.3 | 3 | 0 | $130K |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.6 | 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
St. Louis County ranks in the 34th percentile (Low) 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 | 34th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 22nd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 43rd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 75th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 38th | Low |
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 | 34th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 32nd | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 9.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 235 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 74 in 2016–20 vs 161 in 2021–25 (+118% — 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 St. Louis County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in St. Louis County, Missouri are heat wave, hail, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has St. Louis County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. St. Louis County has received 34 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (16 declarations).
Has St. Louis County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for St. Louis County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Wildfires (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does St. Louis County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, St. Louis, MO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Jersey County, IL has the lowest (Very Low). St. Louis County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is St. Louis County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
St. Louis 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. St. Louis County's composite score of 99 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 99% of US counties.