Lafayette County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk

• Cold waveRelatively Moderate$7.07M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Low$1.38M/yr expected annual loss, about 13 events a year
• LandslideRelatively Low$8,121/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
• Ice stormRelatively Moderate$254K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• DroughtRelatively Moderate$536K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.4 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.6M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• HailRelatively Low$547K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.6 events a year
• Strong windRelatively Moderate$748K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.9 events a year
• EarthquakeVery Low$265K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 754 years
• Winter weatherRelatively Low$62.49K/yr expected annual loss, about 10 events a year
• WildfireVery Low$21.33K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,067 years
• LightningRelatively Low$141K/yr expected annual loss, about 49 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$5,223/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 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, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

5 of 15,994 (0.0%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

81

Insured in high-risk zones

2 (2%)

Flood claims since 1978

18

Claims paid since 1978

$276K

• Hail127
• Thunderstorm Wind121
• Flood84
• Drought27
• Flash Flood24
• Winter Storm23
• Tornado16
• Heat14
• Heavy Snow12
• Extreme Cold/Wind Chill8 · 1 death

• Winter Weather02/06/2019

  Lafayette

  2 deaths, 2 injured, $100K damage

  What happened

  Two fatalities occurred the evening of 2/5/19 on I-70, in Lafayette County when a vehicle skidded off the road due to ice. A semi trailing the vehicular accident then impacted the vehicle, killing two of the four occupants. The MHP police report is linked here: https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/HP68/AccidentDetailsAction?ACC_RPT_NUM=190068843 . Aside from those two accidents, there have been numerous injury accidents, mostly resulting in minor injuries, with a handful of moderate to serious injuries. Highway 7 just north of Pleasant Hill was closed for several hours on Tuesday evening because a MODoT salt truck among other vehicles impacted the guard rail just north of town. NWS employee tried to get home at 7:30 pm CST, and had to return to work due to impassible roads. The incoming midnight shift was able to report to work, but were delayed due to the icy roads.

• Extreme Cold/Wind Chill12/10/2000

  Lafayette

  1 death

  What happened

  Arctic air gripped the region from around the 10th of December, through the end of the month. Except for a few hours on the 15th and 16th, temperatures remained below freezing through the entire period. Snow cover persisted from the 13th through the end of the month. Kansas City had its second coldest December on record. The Kansas City International Airport averaged 10 to 20 degrees below normal through the cold outbreak. Average highs were in the teens and twenties with average lows in the single digits. No daily records were broken. The lowest reading at the Kansas City international airport was 9 below zero and it went to 16 below zero at Maryville, both on the 22nd. Numerous broken water pipes and water mains were reported, especially in the Kansas City area. The extreme cold claimed the life of a 19 year old Lafayette county man from exposure.

• Flood04/22/1999

  Lafayette

  $1M damage

  What happened

  Thunderstorms brought very heavy rain to parts of west-central Missouri on April 22, causing flash flooding in the Kansas City metro area, and minor to moderate river flooding in several locations in northwest and west central Missouri. Estimated rain totals of 1-2 inches were common throughout the metro area and into Ray County. River flooding occurred along the Missouri near St. Joseph, Sibley, Napoleon, Waverly, Miami, Glasgow, and Boonville, the South Grand at Urich, the Crooked River at Richmond, Wakenda Creek at Carrollton, the Little Platte near Smithville, the Fishing River at Mosby, and the Grand River at Chillicothe, Sumner, and Brunswick. Continued rainfall over the following several days kept some of the flooded streams above flood stage into the month of May.

• Flash Flood05/12/2002

  Odessa, Lafayette County

  $800K damage

  What happened

  Junction of highway 131 and county road FF closed due to high water.

• Flood06/27/1999

  Lafayette

  $500K damage

  What happened

  Excessive rainfall across northeast Kansas and northwest and west-central Missouri on June 27 and 28 caused extensive river flooding across western and central Missouri. Minor to moderate flooding occurred on the Missouri River at St. Joseph, Kansas City, Sibley, Napoleon, Glasgow, and Boonville, Big Creek near Blairstown, the Blackwater River at Valley City and Blue Lick, the Blue River near Bannister Road and Blue Parkway in Kansas City, the Lamine River at Otterville, the Little Blue near Lake City, the Platte River at Sharps Station and Platte City, the South Grand at Urich, the Little Platte near Smithville, the Crooked River near Richmond, the Fishing River near Mosby, and the Chariton River at Brunswick. Major flooding occurred at two locations on the Missouri River. At Waverly, the river crested on June 30 at 29.05 feet, which is 9.05 feet above flood stage. At Miami, the river crested on the evening of June 30 at 27.5 feet, which is 9.5 feet above flood stage. Many of the affected streams remained above flood stage into the month of July. On June 28, a 29-year old man was killed after apparently being swept under while rappelling off a bridge into the flooded...

• TornadoF2, 9 mi path, 300 yd wide05/10/2003

  Corder, Lafayette County

  $500K damage

  What happened

  Tornado reported near Corder and tracked northeast into Saline county. destoyed a machine shed, house with grain bins damaged along with a dairy barn.

• Heavy Snow01/24/2026

  Lafayette

• Drought11/01/2025

  Lafayette

• Drought10/14/2025

  Lafayette

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind09/18/2025

  Lexington, Lafayette County

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind09/18/2025

  Napoleon, Lafayette County

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind09/18/2025

  Bates City, Lafayette County

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind09/16/2025

  Bates City, Lafayette County

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/12/2025

  Higginsville Jct Arp, Lafayette County

• Lafayette County Pwsd 1Serves 8,250 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Laf Jo Saline County Cons Pwsd 2Serves 7,180 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• Odessa PwsServes 5,202 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Higginsville PwsServes 4,800 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Lexington PwsServes 4,729 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Concordia PwsServes 2,500 · Surface water · Local government5 health violations+10 monitoring or reporting
• Waverly PwsServes 900 · Purchased groundwater · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
• Wellington PwsServes 812 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting