Chariton County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 349 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $8.47M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 349
- Most often flood
- Flood insurance policies
- 22
- 0.4% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 29.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 57.8 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively High
Score 79.6 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.1B · Agriculture value exposed: $210M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $10.01M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$549K/yr expected annual loss, about 13 events a year
- LandslideRelatively Low$4,374/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$588K/yr expected annual loss, about 10 events a year
- HailRelatively Low$241K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.12M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- WildfireVery Low$38K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,063 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$151K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 652 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$39.1K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$554K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$131K/yr expected annual loss, about 48 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$27.34K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HurricaneVery Low$5,912/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- Strong windVery Low$118K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.2 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, 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
- 22 of 6,031 (0.4%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 355
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 19 (5%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 57
- Claims paid since 1978
- $821K
Flood claims paid per year
- Midwest Flooding$128K · 9 claims
- Flooding$56.27K · 7 claims
- Hurricane Ike$4,114 · 2 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 349 events, 1 death, $1.32M in damage
- Flood111
- Hail75
- Thunderstorm Wind62
- Winter Storm21
- Drought19
- Heat14 · 1 death
- Flash Flood12
- Ice Storm7
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill7
- Heavy Snow6
Events per year
19 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, EF1 1, F0 2, F1 7, F2 2, F3 4, F4 2).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Heat07/14/2000
Chariton
1 death
What happened
Three days of 90-degree temperatures, coupled with very high humidity that pushed heat indices above 105, claimed 3 lives in west-central Missouri. A 63 year old male in Triplett, a 97 year old female in Raytown, and a 37 year old male in Riverside died of heat related causes.
- TornadoF2, 26 mi path, 200 yd wide04/08/1999
Triplett, Chariton County
$700K damage
What happened
The Carroll County tornado continued northeast across Chariton County damaging or destroying several outbuildings near Mendon and 5 miles south of Marceline. In addition, a single family home suffered minor damage, and a mobile home was damaged 5 miles south of Marceline.
- Flood07/26/2008
Prairie Hill, Chariton County
$250K damage
What happened
The Chariton River near Prairie Hill crested at a record 23.27 feet, or 8.27 feet above flood stage. Hundreds of acres of low lying farm land was inundated.
- Ice Storm01/30/2002
Chariton
$200K damage
- Flood05/08/2007
Brunswick Arpt, Chariton County
$100K damage
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Heavy Snow01/24/2026
Chariton
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/03/2025
Forest Green, Chariton County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/03/2025
Eccles, Chariton County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/03/2025
Shannondale, Chariton County
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill02/18/2025
Chariton
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind06/25/2024
Forest Green, Chariton County
- Drought09/01/2023
Chariton
- Heat08/20/2023
Chariton
Drinking water
5 community water systems serve about 4,263 people. Violations since 2021.
1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Salisbury PwsServes 1,620 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Chariton County Pwsd 2Serves 1,078 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Mo American BrunswickServes 858 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Keytesville PwsServes 500 · Groundwater · Local government5 health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Mendon PwsServes 207 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+4 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 Salisbury, 8.6 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 88°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 18°F in Jan. About 40.0 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 18°F | 1.52 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 22°F | 1.84 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 32°F | 2.79 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 43°F | 4.04 in |
| May | 75°F | 54°F | 5.15 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 64°F | 5.54 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.21 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.64 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 56°F | 3.73 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 44°F | 3.49 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 33°F | 2.43 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 24°F | 1.64 in |
| Year | 54°F average | 40.0 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Chariton County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Chariton County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk6 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Chariton County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Chariton County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $8.47M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Chariton County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 349 storm events affecting Chariton County, most often flood (111), hail (75), thunderstorm wind (62).
- How many tornadoes have hit Chariton County?
- 19 tornadoes have been recorded in Chariton County since 1950, including 6 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Chariton County have flood insurance?
- 22 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Chariton County, covering about 0.4% of homes. The program has paid $821K on 57 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Chariton County?
- At Salisbury, average highs reach 88°F in Jul and lows fall to 18°F in Jan, with 40.0 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.