Storm risk in Shawnee County, Kansas
FEMA's overall hazard score for Shawnee County is 88.04 (Relatively Moderate), 377th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 87.37 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 79.48 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 95.87 (Relatively High). Expected hail loss is $29 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 143 hail reports in Shawnee County from 2014 to June 2026.
FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.
- Shawnee County, coloured by its FEMA rating
- all U.S. counties
- each county in the state
- U.S. median
- state median
Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.
How FEMA rates Shawnee County
| Hazard | Rating | Score (0 to 100) | Rank in U.S. | Rank in KS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Relatively Moderate | 88.04 | 377 of 3,144 | 4 of 105 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 87.37 | 398 of 3,126 | 26 of 105 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 79.48 | 646 of 3,126 | 14 of 105 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.87 | 131 of 3,126 | 4 of 105 |
Expected yearly loss, in dollars
| Hazard | This county, total a year | Per $1M of buildings | State median county | U.S. median county | Rank per $1M, U.S. | Rank per $1M, state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | $1,082,982 | $29 | $136 | $22 | 1,361 of 3,126 | 99 of 105 |
| Strong wind | $675,758 | $18 | $78 | $20 | 1,669 of 3,121 | 101 of 105 |
| Tornado | $13,866,138 | $372 | $416 | $199 | 770 of 3,144 | 65 of 105 |
Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.
What stands out in Shawnee County
- FEMA expects hail in Shawnee County to cost $29 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.30 times the U.S. median and 0.21 times the KS county median, ranked 1,361st of 3,126 counties nationally and 99th of 105 in Kansas.
- FEMA expects strong wind in Shawnee County to cost $18 per $1 million of buildings a year: 0.89 times the U.S. median and 0.23 times the KS county median, ranked 1,669th of 3,121 counties nationally and 101st of 105 in Kansas.
- FEMA expects tornado in Shawnee County to cost $372 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.87 times the U.S. median and 0.89 times the KS county median, ranked 770th of 3,144 counties nationally and 65th of 105 in Kansas.
- Applying FEMA's estimate to a $170,400 home, the average yearly loss in Shawnee County is about $4.95 for hail and $3.09 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $3.81 and $3.47.
- If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Shawnee County meets about 66.7 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
- Built in 1971, the median home in Shawnee County is 55 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 86.2% of its 80,884 homes are at least 26 years old.
- March to June holds 109 of the 143 hail reports in Shawnee County (76 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.
What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year
Enter a home value. The calculator applies Shawnee County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.
Formula: home value × Shawnee County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $1,082,982 ÷ $37,311,140,737 = 0.0000290. Wind: $675,758 ÷ $37,311,140,737 = 0.0000181. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.
Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.
Shawnee County in plain numbers
- Shawnee County scores 88.04 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Moderate): 377th of 3,144 rated counties and 4th of 105 in Kansas.
- Hail scores 87.37 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $1,082,982 of hail damage to buildings in Shawnee County a year, which is $29 per $1 million of buildings, 1.30 times the U.S. median.
- Strong wind scores 79.48 (Relatively Moderate) with $675,758 of expected yearly building loss in Shawnee County: $18 per $1 million of buildings, 0.89 times the U.S. median.
- Tornado scores 95.87 (Relatively High) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $13,866,138, counting everything exposed, or $372 per $1 million of buildings in Shawnee County.
- FEMA's own event record for Shawnee County averages 9.94 hail events and 7.45 strong-wind events a year.
- NOAA logged 143 hail reports in Shawnee County between 2014 and June 2026, on 42 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 2.75 inches.
- In Shawnee County, FEMA counts buildings worth 37.31 billion dollars and 178,851 residents.
- Social vulnerability is Relatively Low in Shawnee County.
- Community resilience there is Very High, for 178,851 residents.
- 1 city in Shawnee County is covered on this site: Topeka. 24 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
- Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in Topeka is $6,160 to $13,640.
- Shawnee County ranks 93 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 67 for wind and 47 for tornado.
- In Shawnee County, April is the busiest month with 49 of the 143 reports (34 percent), against 5 reports in October.
- Shawnee County's worst year was 2016, with 7 hail days at 1 inch or more and 22 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 3.33 such days a year, one about every 3.6 months.
- The median home in Shawnee County was built in 1971; 64.5% of its 80,884 housing units date from before 1980, 86.2% from before 2000 and 4.7% from 2010 on.
- Census puts the median home value in Shawnee County at $170,400, and 67.0% of homes are lived in by their owners.
- 2,417 single-family building permits were issued in Shawnee County from 2014 to 2025, about 29.9 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2016.
- NOAA lists 9 tornado tracks in Shawnee County since 2014; the strongest was an EF2 on March 13, 2024 near Rossville, 4.94 miles long.
- The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Shawnee County is 90 mph on August 14, 2024 at (Top)Billard Arpt To.
- The nearest county with a page here is Douglas County, 28 miles from the centre of Shawnee County; its hail score is 92.30.
- Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 16 roofing contractor establishments in Shawnee County in 2023, one for every 5,055 homes.
- FEMA has named Shawnee County in 1 disaster declaration since 2014, the latest 870 days before its data end, and 0 of them were storm-type.
The hail record of Shawnee County, year by year
NOAA logged 143 reports in Shawnee County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 42 days. That is 3.3 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.
- reports
- days with hail of 1 inch or more
- * 2026 runs to June only
Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: April, 49 reports.
The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
| Year | Reports | Days, 1 inch or more | Days, 1.75 inch or more | Largest stone | Damage reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 2.75 in | – |
| 2015 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2016 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2017 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 in | – |
| 2018 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2019 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 2 in | – |
| 2020 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 2 in | – |
| 2021 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1.5 in | – |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 in | – |
| 2023 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1.5 in | – |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.25 in | – |
| 2026 (to June) | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1.75 in | – |
Biggest hail days in Shawnee County
| Date | Largest stone | Reports that day | Damage reported | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2014 | 2.75 in | 10 | none recorded | Tecumseh |
| June 17, 2017 | 2 in | 5 | none recorded | Grove |
| September 27, 2019 | 2 in | 3 | none recorded | Berryton |
| July 11, 2020 | 2 in | 3 | none recorded | Dover |
| May 28, 2019 | 2 in | 2 | none recorded | Willard |
Where large hail was reported
FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside Shawnee County the big stones fell.
Reported hail locations, Shawnee County
- 1051 to 1.74 in
- 241.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
- 12.75 in and up, baseball
Largest plotted stone: 2.75 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.
130 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.
Sources: NOAA, Census county outlineWind and tornado records for Shawnee County
Fastest gusts in Shawnee County
| Date | Gust | Near |
|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2024 | 90 mph | (Top)Billard Arpt To |
| June 9, 2026 | 90 mph | Topeka |
| June 26, 2024 | 86 mph | Dover |
| May 17, 2022 | 85 mph | Silver Lake |
Strongest tornado tracks in Shawnee County
| Date | Scale | Length | Injured / killed | Near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2024 | EF2 | 4.94 mi | 0 / 0 | Rossville |
| June 9, 2026 | EF0 | 2.63 mi | 0 / 0 | Berryton |
| May 19, 2024 | EF0 | 0.08 mi | 0 / 0 | Dover |
| May 21, 2019 | EF0 | 5.9 mi | 0 / 0 | Rossville |
9 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.
How old the roofs are
Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at Shawnee County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 3.33 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.
Bars: share of 80,884 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.
| Median year built | 1971 |
| Built before 1980 | 64.5% |
| Built before 2000 | 86.2% |
| Built since 2010 | 4.7% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.0% |
| Median home value | $170,400 |
| Single-family permits, 2014 to 2025 | 2,417 |
| Permits per 1,000 homes | 29.9 |
Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.
Roofers and past disasters in Shawnee County
Roofing firms in Shawnee County
| Roofing contractor establishments, 2023 | 16 |
| Change since 2016 | +2 (+14%) |
| Homes per roofing firm | 5,055 |
| Median across counties | 5,189 |
| Employees, 2023 | 139 |
Source for Shawnee County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.
FEMA disaster declarations naming Shawnee County since 2014
| Declarations naming Shawnee County | 1 |
| Storm / flood / winter / fire | 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 |
| Median KS county | 4 |
| Rank among 100 KS counties | 100 |
| Days from the latest to the data cutoff | 870 |
Source for Shawnee County: OpenFEMA, data to 2026-09-15.
Nearby counties
The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by Shawnee County's.
| County | Miles | Overall | Hail loss | Hail, times here | Wind loss | Wind, times here | NOAA hail reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, KS | 28 | Relatively Low | $93 | 3.21 | $42 | 2.29 | 59 |
| Riley County, KS | 52 | Relatively Low | $18 | 0.60 | $39 | 2.18 | 95 |
| Saline County, KS | 103 | Relatively Low | $89 | 3.06 | $24 | 1.32 | 133 |
| Sedgwick County, KS | 131 | Relatively High | $94 | 3.25 | $9.04 | 0.50 | 382 |
| Reno County, KS | 146 | Relatively Low | $104 | 3.58 | $113 | 6.25 | 142 |
Cities and ZIP areas in Shawnee County
1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 24 such areas have more than half their land here.
| City | ZIP areas (share of land in the county) | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Topeka | 66604 (100%), 66606 (100%), 66607 (100%), 66614 (84%) | Roofers |
Storm hit your roof in Shawnee County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.
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How high is storm risk in Shawnee County?
FEMA's National Risk Index gives Shawnee County an overall score of 88.04 (Relatively Moderate), 377th of 3,144. Hail scores 87.37 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 79.48 (Relatively Moderate) and tornado 95.87 (Relatively High).
In Shawnee County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?
A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 143 for Shawnee County between 2014 and June 2026, on 42 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 2.75 inches.
What do hail and wind cost a home in Shawnee County each year, on average?
Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $170,400: FEMA's estimate is about $4.95 a year for hail and $3.09 for wind, before any deductible, against $3.81 and $3.47 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.
How does Shawnee County compare with the rest of Kansas?
Per $1 million of buildings Shawnee County loses $29 to hail a year, against $136 in the median county of the state. Among 105 rated counties it is 26th for hail, 14th for strong wind and 4th for tornado.
How old are the roofs in Shawnee County?
The median home was built in 1971, 55 years ago, and 86.2% of the 80,884 housing units in Shawnee County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.
What does expected annual loss mean?
It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.
Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?
No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.
Sources for Shawnee County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Shawnee County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Shawnee County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Shawnee County; OpenFEMA, declarations naming Shawnee County. Planning-level information about Shawnee County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).