FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Iowa · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Pottawattamie County, IA
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 80
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Pottawattamie County ranks in the riskiest 20% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 57% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 4 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2020, most often severe storm, 4% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 20%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 4
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Pottawattamie County compare?
Pottawattamie County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
4 Top 43% higher than 57% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Pottawattamie County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Iowa county average
How disaster-prone is Pottawattamie County?
Declaration frequency
Pottawattamie County, Iowa has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2024, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 96% above the Iowa county average of 2.0 and 4% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 2 of 4 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 80.4/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $49.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Hail stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Pottawattamie 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
+96%
State avg: 2.0
vs. National Avg
+4%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Pottawattamie County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Pottawattamie 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
19155
IA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 2
Tornado 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 - 4 100.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4796 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-06-24 |
| 4784 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-05-24 |
| 4779 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2024-05-14 |
| 4483 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-23 |
Storm Events in Iowa
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,814 | 7 | 229 | $42.7M |
| Hail | 4,239 | 0 | 0 | $4.4M |
| Heavy Rain | 2,554 | 0 | 0 | $292.0K |
| Drought | 1,768 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 1,764 | 3 | 4 | $2.8M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 80.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$49.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hail Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane No Rating
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 Pottawattamie County, Iowa had?
Pottawattamie County, Iowa has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2024. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Pottawattamie County?
The most common disaster type in Pottawattamie County is Severe Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Tornado (1), Biological (1).
How does Pottawattamie County's disaster risk compare to the Iowa average?
Pottawattamie County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 96% higher than the Iowa county average of 2.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 4% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Pottawattamie County received?
Pottawattamie County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 4 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 (5,814 events), Hail (4,239 events), Heavy Rain (2,554 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Pottawattamie County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Pottawattamie County was 2024, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Pottawattamie County?
Pottawattamie County's 4 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 Pottawattamie County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Pottawattamie County, Iowa has an overall risk score of 80.4 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $49.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Pottawattamie County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Pottawattamie County is Hail (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Tornado (Relatively High). 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 Pottawattamie County
Pottawattamie County, IA runs 96% above the Iowa county average for federal disaster declarations (4 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (4 of 4) - 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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 national statistics report, or report a data error.