Atchison County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 403 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $6.9M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 403
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 7
- 0.2% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 21.7 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 54.7 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 70.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.7B · Agriculture value exposed: $190M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $8M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$1.51M/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- LandslideRelatively Low$9,992/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$589K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.4 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$345K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.6 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$897K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Cold waveRelatively Low$552K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$11.75K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 867 years
- Ice stormRelatively Low$24.58K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$21.4K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Low$187K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$13.33K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,328 years
- LightningVery Low$42.83K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year
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
- 7 of 3,688 (0.2%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 146
- Claims paid since 1978
- $4.99M
Flood claims paid per year
- Late spring storms$2.05M · 47 claims
- Midwest Flooding$483K · 53 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 403 events, 0 deaths, $7.39M in damage
- Hail137
- Thunderstorm Wind114
- Flood36
- Drought18
- Heavy Snow15
- Winter Storm15
- Heat13
- Flash Flood11
- Tornado11
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill8
Events per year
19 tornadoes on record (EF0 8, F0 2, F1 4, F2 3, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Flood05/06/2007
Tarkio Gould Muni Ar, Atchison County
$6M damage
What happened
The Tarkio River near Fairfax crested at 25.78 feet, or 8.78 feet above flood stage. This was its highest crest ever and occurred on May 7, 2007. Major flooding in the communities of Fairfax and Tarkio. Numerous homes and businesses suffered flood damage. A levee break just upstream of Fairfax contributed to the flood damage.
- Hail1.75" hail07/23/1997
Watson, Atchison County
$500K damage
What happened
One inch hail was reported at the Missouri State Weigh in station 2 miles south of Watson. A severe weather spotter also reported one inch hail 2 miles north of Phelps City. An area of crop damage 2 miles wide was reported about 1.5 miles north of Watson. Golfball-size hail fell from a miles east of Phelps City to a mile and half southeast of Watson resulting in the damage to the corn.
- TornadoEF0, 10.48 mi path, 100 yd wide06/06/2008
Tarkio, Atchison County
$210K damage
- Flood03/09/2019
Fairfax, Atchison County
$200K damage
- Ice Storm12/10/2007
Atchison
$100K damage
- Heavy Snow04/10/1997
Atchison
$100K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/19/2026
Fairfax, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/19/2026
Langdon, Atchison County
- Hail1.5" hail05/18/2026
Westboro, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/18/2026
Tarkio, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind05/18/2026
Linden, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind05/18/2026
Westboro, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/18/2026
Fairfax Steele Arpt, Atchison County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/18/2026
Langdon, Atchison County
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 4,315 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Tarkio Board of Public Works PwsServes 1,494 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Rock Port PwsServes 1,318 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Atchison County Pwsd 1Serves 700 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Fairfax PwsServes 638 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Westboro PwsServes 115 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Atchison County Wholesale Water CommServes 25 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Great Northwest Wholesale Water CommissServes 25 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
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 Tarkio, 1.8 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 85°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 15°F in Jan..
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 15°F | - |
| Feb | 38°F | 18°F | - |
| Mar | 52°F | 29°F | - |
| Apr | 63°F | 39°F | - |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | - |
| Jun | 82°F | 62°F | - |
| Jul | 85°F | 66°F | - |
| Aug | 84°F | 63°F | - |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | - |
| Oct | 65°F | 40°F | - |
| Nov | 50°F | 30°F | - |
| Dec | 37°F | 20°F | - |
| Year | 51°F average | - | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Atchison County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Atchison County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk7 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Atchison County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Atchison County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $6.9M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Atchison County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 403 storm events affecting Atchison County, most often hail (137), thunderstorm wind (114), flood (36).
- How many tornadoes have hit Atchison County?
- 19 tornadoes have been recorded in Atchison County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Atchison County have flood insurance?
- 7 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Atchison County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $4.99M on 146 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Atchison County?
- At Tarkio, average highs reach 85°F in Jul and lows fall to 15°F in Jan (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.