FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Iowa · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Dubuque County, IA
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 64
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Dubuque County in the top 36% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Dubuque County compare?
- Dubuque County
- 3
- Iowa county avg
- 2
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Dubuque County?
Dubuque County, Iowa has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2024, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.8 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 47% above the Iowa county average of 2.0 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 1 of 3 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 63.6/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $41.7M in annualized losses), and a Very Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Very High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hail carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Dubuque County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Iowa Avg
+47%
State avg: 2.0
vs. National Avg
-20%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.8
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Dubuque County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Dubuque County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
19061
IA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 1
Flood 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 100.0%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4796 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-06-24 |
| 4732 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-08-25 |
| 4483 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-23 |
Storm Events in Iowa
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,492 | 7 | 229 | $41.3M |
| Hail | 3,992 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| Heavy Rain | 2,424 | 0 | 0 | $292.0K |
| Winter Storm | 1,626 | 3 | 4 | $2.8M |
| Drought | 1,565 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 63.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$41.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Iowa
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Dubuque County, Iowa had?
Dubuque County, Iowa has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2024. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Dubuque County?
The most common disaster type in Dubuque County is Severe Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Flood (1), Biological (1).
How does Dubuque County's disaster risk compare to the Iowa average?
Dubuque County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 47% higher than the Iowa county average of 2.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Dubuque County received?
Dubuque County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Iowa?
The most common storm types in Iowa include Thunderstorm Wind (5,492 events), Hail (3,992 events), Heavy Rain (2,424 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Dubuque County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Dubuque County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Dubuque County?
Dubuque County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Dubuque County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Dubuque County, Iowa has an overall risk score of 63.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $41.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Dubuque County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Dubuque County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Low) and Tornado (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Dubuque County
Dubuque County, IA has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 47% above the Iowa county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Iowa overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.