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Risk: Relatively Low

Ray County, MO Environment & Hazard Risk

Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by landslide. 337 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$13.4M
Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996
337
Most often hail
Flood insurance policies
73
0.7% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
0
Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Relatively Low

Score 44.4 of 100

Social vulnerability

Relatively Moderate

Score 47.0 of 100

Community resilience

Relatively High

Score 79.3 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $5B · Agriculture value exposed: $102M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $14.6M

Risk by hazard

  • LandslideRelatively Low$15.3K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
  • Cold waveRelatively Moderate$3.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.6 events a year
  • Heat waveRelatively Low$895K/yr expected annual loss, about 12 events a year
  • DroughtRelatively Moderate$380K/yr expected annual loss, about 14 events a year
  • Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$99.4K/yr expected annual loss, about 11 events a year
  • HailRelatively Low$408K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.9 events a year
  • Ice stormRelatively Moderate$141K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
  • TornadoRelatively Low$1.5M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
  • WildfireVery Low$60.1K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,088 years
  • LightningRelatively Low$176K/yr expected annual loss, about 49 events a year
  • Strong windRelatively Low$402K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.2 events a year
  • EarthquakeVery Low$108K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 794 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
73 of 10,584 (0.7%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
457
Insured in high-risk zones
57 (12%)
Flood claims since 1978
191
Claims paid since 1978
$2.2M

Flood claims paid per year

Flood claims paid per year in Ray County
  • Midwest Flooding$1.6M · 132 claims
  • Flooding$101K · 5 claims
  • Late spring storms$30.5K · 1 claim

Storm history

Since 1996: 337 events, 1 death, $1.4M in damage

  • Hail85
  • Thunderstorm Wind85
  • Flood37
  • Winter Storm22
  • Drought21
  • Flash Flood21 · 1 death
  • Tornado13
  • Heat13
  • Ice Storm8
  • Extreme Cold/Wind Chill8

Events per year

Storm events per year in Ray County
14
16
13
14
12
9
6
8
14
7
7
8
8
2
10
6
8
15
18
3

34 tornadoes on record (EF0 4, EF1 2, EF2 2, F0 6, F1 10, F2 6, F3 2, F4 2).

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Flash Flood06/04/2001

    Wood Hgts, Ray County

    1 death

    What happened

    Flash flooding fatality reported on 168th St. in Ray county, or approximately 5 miles northeast of Excelsior Springs. Woman drove into flooded road where it crossed a small stream...and vehicle was washed of the road. She could not be rescued in time.

  • TornadoF1, 15 mi path, 150 yd wide03/12/2006

    Orrick, Ray County

    $400K damage

    What happened

    F1 tornado crossed into Ray county from Jackson county at 0915 CST...2 miles west of Orrick. The tornado traveled east and lifted 2 miles southeast of Richmond. A gas station was destroyed in Orrick and the roof to the school was blown off..

  • Ice Storm01/30/2002

    Ray

    $300K damage

    What happened

    A long-lived major ice and snow storm blasted much of northwest, northern and central Missouri from late Tuesday, January 29th, until Thursday, January 31st. Ice accumulations of over an inch were observed from the Kansas City metropolitan area, east and north through Moberly Missouri. At one point 409,504 total customers were without electrical power in the CWA, with some residents without power up to two weeks. For the Kansas City area, the ice storm was ranked as the worst ever. Further north across northern Missouri, heavy snow fell generally along and north of a line, from St. Joseph to Trenton to Kirksville. Snow accumulations ranged from 8 to 14 inches.

  • Thunderstorm Wind80 kt wind10/14/2000

    Taitsville, Ray County

    $200K damage

  • Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind09/12/2000

    Richmond, Ray County

    $200K damage

  • Flash Flood10/05/1998

    Richmond, Ray County

    $100K damage

Drinking water

9 community water systems serve about 24,631 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.

  • Ray County Cons Pwsd 2Serves 9,360 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
  • Richmond PwsServes 5,797 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
  • Mo American LawsonServes 2,546 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
  • Ray County Pwsd 1Serves 2,490 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
  • Ray County Pwsd 3Serves 1,970 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
  • Mo American OrrickServes 752 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
  • Mo American Wood HeightsServes 750 · Purchased groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
  • Hardin PwsServes 569 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 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.

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Ray County

Superfund sites

None in this county.

Toxic release facilities

Total: 11,741 lbs in 2024, 9,214 lbs to air.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Ray County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Ray County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $13.4M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively low), cold wave (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively low).
What storms are most common in Ray County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 337 storm events affecting Ray County, most often hail (85), thunderstorm wind (85), flood (37).
How many tornadoes have hit Ray County?
34 tornadoes have been recorded in Ray County since 1950, including 4 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
How many homes in Ray County have flood insurance?
73 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Ray County, covering about 0.7% of homes. The program has paid $2.2M on 191 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Ray County?
At Richmond 3s, average highs reach 87°F in Jul and lows fall to 15°F in Jan, with 42.1 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.