Climate Risk Summary

Cottonwood Falls, KS Risk Profile

The primary drivers of climate-related financial risk in Cottonwood Falls, KS are Inland Flooding, Tornado, and Wildfire. This area also faces an unusually high intensity for Hail, Strong Wind, Lightning, Ice Storm, Drought, Winter Weather, and Landslide compared to national averages. Based on recent federal data, homeowners in this market face an estimated average annual insurance premium of $2,264, alongside unusually high policy non-renewal rates that indicate growing underwriting pressure.

City Risk Scorecard
Physical Resilience0/100

Based on FEMA EAL and hazard intensity.

Insurance Stability
High Volatility

Non-renewal rates exceed 2σ from the national mean. Signifies active insurer retreat.

Primary Risks

Inland Flooding

$927,319

Expected Annual Loss for Cottonwood Falls

98.2Score

Very High compared to US average

Cottonwood Falls
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Tornado

$197,899

Expected Annual Loss for Cottonwood Falls

97.5Score

Very High compared to US average

Cottonwood Falls
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Wildfire

$156,687

Expected Annual Loss for Cottonwood Falls

98.1Score

Relatively High compared to US average

Cottonwood Falls
Minimal Estimated LossMax Estimated Loss

Spatial Analysis

FEMA Flood Zones
FloodwayHighest Risk / Active Channel
High Risk (100-Year)1% Annual Chance Flood
Moderate Risk (500-Year)0.2% Annual Chance Flood
NRI Risk Index
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
Extreme

Flood Plain Analysis

Significant Flood Exposure in Cottonwood Falls

FEMA Flood Maps for Cottonwood Falls identify the "100-year" and "500-year" floodplains (1% and 0.2% annual chance), but modern climate risk analysis suggests that nearly 25% of flood insurance claims originate from properties outside of these designated high-risk zones.

Use the map above to better understand risk by looking at both the FEMA flood plain maps and FEMA Risk Inventory maps by census tract. Standard FEMA maps may not account for 'flash flooding' from intense rain events.
FEMA Designation vs. Reality
Very High
Relative Vulnerability
$927,319
Annualized Property Exposure

Insurance Market Stability

Avg. Annual Premium

$2,264

Estimated baseline property insurance cost prior to localized disaster surcharges.

Non-Renewal Rate

5.8%
High Volatility Detected

The percentage of homeowner policies canceled by insurers, a key indicator of market retreat.

Insurer Loss Ratio

204%

For every $1 collected in premium, insurers are paying out $2.04 in claims. Elevated ratios signal impending premium hikes.

Financial Risk Inventory

MAJOR DRIVER
Inland Flooding
$927,319
Score: 98.2
MAJOR DRIVER
Tornado
$197,899
Score: 97.5
MAJOR DRIVER
Wildfire
$156,687
Score: 98.1
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Hail
$130,242
Score: 98.9
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Strong Wind
$105,108
Score: 99.1
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Lightning
$49,587
Score: 99.4
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Ice Storm
$42,592
Score: 98.3
Cold Wave
$30,784
Score: 67.5
Heat Wave
$27,294
Score: 76.2
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Drought
$19,775
Score: 94.5
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Winter Weather
$13,873
Score: 98.0
Earthquake
$3,360
Score: 29.6
UNUSUALLY HIGH
Landslide
$852
Score: 95.3

Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Recommended investments to protect your property value and reduce insurance liability based on your local risk profile.

💧Medium Investment

Inland Flooding Mitigation

Install a smart sump pump with battery backup and extend downspouts 10ft from foundation.

Risk Score: 98.2
🌪️High Investment

Tornado Mitigation

Reinforce garage doors and consider a FEMA-approved safe room or storm cellar.

Risk Score: 97.5
🔥Low Investment

Wildfire Mitigation

Create a 5ft 'non-combustible' zone around your home using gravel or pavers instead of mulch.

Risk Score: 98.1
🧊Medium Investment

Hail Mitigation

Replace roof with Class 4 impact-resistant shingles to significantly lower insurance premiums.

Risk Score: 98.9
💨Low Investment

Strong Wind Mitigation

Trim large trees back from the roofline and reinforce roof-to-wall connectors (hurricane straps).

Risk Score: 99.1
🏠Low Investment

Lightning Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 99.4
❄️Medium Investment

Ice Storm Mitigation

Install a 10kWh backup battery system to keep pipes from freezing during grid failure.

Risk Score: 98.3
🏠Low Investment

Cold Wave Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 67.5
☀️Low Investment

Heat Wave Mitigation

Ensure attic insulation is R-49+ and consider a dual-fuel backup generator for AC.

Risk Score: 76.2
🏠Low Investment

Drought Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 94.5
🏠Low Investment

Winter Weather Mitigation

General property maintenance and insurance review recommended.

Risk Score: 98.0
⛰️High Investment

Landslide Mitigation

Professional slope stabilization and foundation drainage inspection is highly recommended.

Risk Score: 95.3

Sources and Methodology

Spatial Climate Risk Modeling

The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) and hazard risk scores are derived from the FEMA NRI zip code dataset using a population-weighted spatial join. Because Zip Codes and Census Tracts do not share perfectly aligned boundaries, we utilize US Census Block Group population centroids to identify where residents actually live.

Financial & Insurance Metrics

The pysical resilence score is calculated by synthesizing Expected Annual Loss (EAL) against the total building replacement value within a jurisdiction. This creates a "Loss Ratio" that measures physical resilience. We supplement this with ZIP-code level data from the U.S. Treasury's Federal Insurance Office (FIO), monitoring trends in premium growth, loss ratios, and policy non-renewals to identify emerging "Insurance Deserts."

Primary Data Sources

Nearby Cities

El DoradoEmporiaHeringtonHillsboroJunction City

Zip Codes in Cottonwood Falls

66845