Scott County, KS Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 777 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $10.45M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 777
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 2
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Low
Score 46.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 80.6 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 25.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $2B · Agriculture value exposed: $1.46B · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $15.32M
Risk by hazard
- HailRelatively High$4.13M/yr expected annual loss, about 9.2 events a year
- DroughtRelatively High$2.22M/yr expected annual loss, about 77 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$744K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Moderate$1.5M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.7 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$90.74K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$569K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$19.65K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- WildfireVery Low$6,286/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4,660 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$23.69K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,237 years
- LightningVery Low$53.44K/yr expected annual loss, about 44 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$7,206/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- LandslideVery Low$9/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 2 of 2,723 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
Storm history
Since 1996: 777 events, 1 death, $3.33M in damage
- Hail363
- Thunderstorm Wind150 · 1 death
- High Wind89
- Tornado35
- Heavy Snow33
- Winter Storm23
- Heavy Rain22
- Winter Weather20
- Blizzard11
- Flood7
Events per year
60 tornadoes on record (EF0 19, EF1 3, EF2 3, F0 22, F1 6, F2 3, F3 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind96 kt wind04/03/2015
Shallow Water, Scott County
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
A severe thunderstorm passing to the north brought high wind on the south side. A 61 year old male was killed when his modular home was overturned and destroyed by the high wind.
- Thunderstorm Wind71 kt wind05/17/1999
Scott City, Scott County
$1.55M damage
What happened
Swath of large hail and high wind across the county produced $1.55 million in damage to property. Extensive damage was also done to crops. In Scott City, a roof was blown off; a camper was blown 30 feet and a shed was blown down.
- Hail0.88" hail05/10/1996
Scott City, Scott County
$900K damage
What happened
hail from nickel to quarter size were accompanied by strong wind. damage to crops and homes was nearly 8 miles wide near and along kansas highway 96.
- TornadoEF1, 7.2 mi path, 440 yd wide04/23/2010
Shallow Water, Scott County
$210K damage
- Wildfire04/11/1998
Scott State Park, Scott County
$150K damage
- TornadoEF1, 2.5 mi path, 150 yd wide10/03/2017
Modoc, Scott County
$150K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind07/10/2026
Shallow Water, Scott County
- Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind07/02/2026
Shallow Water, Scott County
- High Wind53 kt wind03/15/2026
Scott
- High Wind50 kt wind03/15/2026
Scott
- Dense Fog03/04/2026
Scott
- High Wind52 kt wind02/17/2026
Scott
- High Wind56 kt wind01/16/2026
Scott
- High Wind55 kt wind01/16/2026
Scott
Drinking water
1 community water system serve about 3,748 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Scott City, City ofServes 3,748 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Scott City
Summer highs peak around 93°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 16°F in Jan. About 20.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 19.6 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 16°F | 0.44 in | 4.5 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 19°F | 0.52 in | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 27°F | 1.13 in | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 35°F | 1.88 in | 1.8 in |
| May | 77°F | 47°F | 2.65 in | - |
| Jun | 88°F | 58°F | 3.16 in | - |
| Jul | 93°F | 63°F | 3.06 in | - |
| Aug | 90°F | 61°F | 3.05 in | - |
| Sep | 82°F | 52°F | 1.45 in | - |
| Oct | 69°F | 38°F | 1.53 in | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 26°F | 0.64 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 45°F | 18°F | 0.67 in | 3.1 in |
| Year | 53°F average | 20.2 in | 19.6 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Scott County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Scott County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk2 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Scott County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Scott County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $10.45M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively high), drought (relatively high), strong wind (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Scott County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 777 storm events affecting Scott County, most often hail (363), thunderstorm wind (150), high wind (89).
- How many tornadoes have hit Scott County?
- 60 tornadoes have been recorded in Scott County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Scott County have flood insurance?
- 2 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Scott County, covering about 0.1% of homes.
- What is the weather like in Scott County?
- At Scott City, average highs reach 93°F in Jul and lows fall to 16°F in Jan, with 20.2 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.