FEMA declarations
78
Above median
State profile · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Iowa Natural Disasters
Iowa's federal declaration record sits near the middle of the state distribution. 78 FEMA disaster declarations are on record, led by severe storm, with $1.3B in combined property and crop damage. A moderate count like this can still mask a single catastrophic year rather than a steady annual pattern. NOAA storm event data shows 21,883 recorded weather events resulting in 57 fatalities, numbers that shape which hazards get priority in the state's preparedness planning.
- 78
- FEMA declarations
- 21,883
- NOAA storm events
- 57
- Storm fatalities
- $1.3B
- Property + crop damage
The Iowa risk picture
0 of the 99 counties FEMA scores, 0%, carry a FEMA "high-risk" National Risk Index rating, with riverine flooding the single largest driver of expected annual loss statewide. Iowa has 72 Major Disaster (DR) declarations; FEMA authorizes Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both separately for each declaration. NOAA-tracked storms have caused 399 injuries statewide.
- 0%
- of counties rated high-risk by FEMA National Risk Index
- 78
- FEMA disaster declarations on record
- $1.3B
- in tracked property + crop damage
- 14,685
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed statewide
FEMA's National Risk Index and NOAA's Storm Events Database measure different things: modeled long-run risk vs. observed severe-weather events. Storm Events is a reported dataset, so its counts track what was observed and logged, not every event that occurred, and reporting is denser where more people live. See the methodology for how they relate.
Major Disaster share
92%
Mostly major
NOAA storm events
21,883
Observed severe-weather records
How does Iowa compare?
Iowa vs. every U.S. state
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
78 Top 47% higher than 53% of 59 states and territories
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states and territories. 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 · 2026-08-25
Iowa county risk-score spread
FEMA National Risk Index composite scores, 0–100
39.7 Top 40% higher than 60% of 99 county composite scores
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more county composite scores. 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 National Risk Index (NRI), county composite scores · 2026-08-25
The declaration chart counts past federal actions. The county score chart summarizes FEMA's modeled National Risk Index composite; it is not a forecast, and a state average does not describe every county.
Do more storms mean more federal disasters?
Iowa sits at the 49th percentile of FEMA declaration volume and the 84th percentile of NOAA storm-event volume among 55 states and territories, those two ranks are not interchangeable.
FEMA declaration rank vs NOAA storm-event rank
Read the chart, every state as text
Percentiles are within this release's state/territory sample. Raw counts are the underlying FEMA and NOAA totals.
| State | FEMA decls | FEMA %ile | NOAA storms | NOAA %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 396 | 98 | 23,694 | 93 |
| Texas | 389 | 96 | 53,309 | 98 |
| Oklahoma | 258 | 95 | 23,896 | 95 |
| Washington | 215 | 93 | 4,408 | 22 |
| Florida | 188 | 91 | 12,838 | 55 |
| Oregon | 169 | 89 | 3,695 | 20 |
| New Mexico | 126 | 87 | 10,974 | 45 |
| Arizona | 120 | 85 | 9,541 | 38 |
| New York | 118 | 84 | 21,653 | 82 |
| Montana | 112 | 82 | 13,576 | 56 |
| Colorado | 111 | 78 | 18,340 | 73 |
| Louisiana | 111 | 78 | 11,204 | 47 |
| Nevada | 110 | 76 | 4,534 | 24 |
| Alabama | 102 | 75 | 14,583 | 64 |
| Kentucky | 98 | 71 | 19,947 | 78 |
| Mississippi | 98 | 71 | 14,100 | 62 |
| Tennessee | 97 | 69 | 16,645 | 69 |
| South Dakota | 96 | 67 | 22,759 | 87 |
| Alaska | 94 | 64 | 2,683 | 15 |
| Kansas | 94 | 64 | 25,115 | 96 |
| Arkansas | 87 | 60 | 13,637 | 58 |
| Nebraska | 87 | 60 | 20,136 | 80 |
| Missouri | 86 | 58 | 22,952 | 89 |
| North Carolina | 85 | 56 | 16,367 | 67 |
| West Virginia | 84 | 55 | 12,026 | 49 |
| Georgia | 81 | 51 | 16,676 | 71 |
| Minnesota | 81 | 51 | 19,109 | 75 |
| Iowa | 78 | 49 | 21,883 | 84 |
| Virginia | 77 | 47 | 23,584 | 91 |
| North Dakota | 75 | 45 | 10,818 | 44 |
| Hawaii | 72 | 44 | 6,200 | 31 |
| Maine | 71 | 42 | 4,781 | 27 |
| Illinois | 68 | 40 | 22,088 | 85 |
| Pennsylvania | 64 | 38 | 19,427 | 76 |
| New Hampshire | 63 | 36 | 2,547 | 11 |
| Vermont | 62 | 35 | 3,449 | 18 |
| Idaho | 60 | 31 | 5,142 | 29 |
| Ohio | 60 | 31 | 16,184 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | 59 | 25 | 6,781 | 33 |
| New Jersey | 59 | 25 | 8,218 | 35 |
| Utah | 59 | 25 | 4,578 | 25 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 24 | 13,807 | 60 |
| Indiana | 54 | 22 | 12,687 | 53 |
| Puerto Rico | 51 | 18 | 2,944 | 16 |
| South Carolina | 51 | 18 | 10,520 | 42 |
| Michigan | 46 | 16 | 9,052 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 45 | 15 | 12,494 | 51 |
| Connecticut | 43 | 13 | 2,622 | 13 |
| Maryland | 38 | 11 | 10,290 | 40 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 33 | 9 | 88 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 31 | 7 | 924 | 7 |
| Delaware | 26 | 5 | 1,475 | 9 |
| Guam | 25 | 4 | 258 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 2 | 452 | 5 |
| American Samoa | 17 | 0 | 292 | 4 |
What shapes Iowa's record?
FEMA declaration types in Iowa
Wider bars = more declarations of that incident type
- Severe Storm
Severe Storm
33 declarations
- Flood
Flood
30 declarations
- Tornado 5
Tornado
5 declarations
- Biological 3
Biological
3 declarations
- Severe Ice Storm 2
Severe Ice Storm
2 declarations
- Snowstorm 2
Snowstorm
2 declarations
- Hurricane 1
Hurricane
1 declarations
- Winter Storm 1
Winter Storm
1 declarations
What this shows Severe Storm leads Iowa's FEMA declaration mix with 33 records among the types shown.
NOAA storm events by year in Iowa
Reported severe-weather events, 2015-2025 catalog window
Peak year in this series: 2018 (2,735 events). Counts are reported events, not a complete census.
81 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Iowa · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite mixing OpenFEMA declaration totals (1953–present) with NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025), different windows and event definitions, disclosed weights on the methodology page . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
13/30
78 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x state average)
NOAA Storm Events (2015–2025) Very High
25/25
21883 NOAA storm events in the 2015–2025 extract (2.0x median state)
NOAA Damage (2015–2025) Very High
23/25
Recorded NOAA property+crop damage in the 2015–2025 extract (2.3x median state)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in Iowa
What does Iowa's hazard record show?
NOAA storm events & FEMA National Risk Index
NOAA's Storm Events Database adds the near-term severe-weather lens. Between 2015 and 2025, Iowa recorded 21,883 individual storm events, causing 57 fatalities and 399 injuries, with combined property and crop damage estimated at $1.3B. The most frequent event types in the state are Thunderstorm Wind (4,928 events), Hail (3,736 events), Heavy Rain (2,394 events). Across the 99counties FEMA scores here, its National Risk Index flags 0 as high-risk, with an average county Risk Index score (FEMA's own formula, distinct from our Historical Activity tool below) of 39.7/100.
What this count is, and is not. Storm Events is a reported database: NOAA compiles it from National Weather Service offices, trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public. It is a record of what was observed and logged, not a complete census of severe weather. Densely populated areas report more events than sparsely populated ones with similar meteorological exposure, and detection has improved over time, so an event count is not a like-for-like measure of hazard between places or across decades. Damage figures are field estimates, not audited losses. See methodology.
FEMA disaster declarations
Iowa (IA) has a moderate level of federal declaration activity, with 78 FEMA declaration records, including 72 Major Disaster declarations (DR). A DR may authorize Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both; those program approvals are not implied by the DR count. The dominant declaration type is Severe Storm, followed by Flood (30), Tornado (5), Biological (3). Declaration counts at the state level reflect the cumulative federal footprint: large multi-county events count once per state, but repeat hazard patterns across decades are visible in the breakdown below.
Flood exposure & where to dig deeper
Flood exposure is quantified separately through the National Flood Insurance Program. Policyholders across 90Iowa counties have filed 14,685 NFIP claims totaling $355.3M, or an average of $24.2K per claim. NFIP data captures only insured flood losses, so uninsured flood damage and storm-surge losses outside mapped high-risk zones remain invisible in this figure. The highest-Expected-Annual-Loss hazard across the state is Riverine Flooding, estimated at $0.7B annually. Drill into individual counties for localized risk, read FEMA's hazard-specific briefings, and review insurance and flood-zone designations, state-level averages can mask sharp county-to-county differences in exposure and resilience.
Disaster Types in Iowa
Share of this state's FEMA declarations; the bar chart above is the same mix as counts.
Severe Storm
42.3%
33 declarations
Flood
38.5%
30 declarations
Tornado
6.4%
5 declarations
Biological
3.8%
3 declarations
Severe Ice Storm
2.6%
2 declarations
Snowstorm
2.6%
2 declarations
Hurricane
1.3%
1 declarations
Winter Storm
1.3%
1 declarations
Drought
1.3%
1 declarations
Storm Events by Type
NOAA storm event data for Iowa (2015-2025).
| Event Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,928 | 6 | 227 | $40.5M |
| Hail | 3,736 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M |
| Heavy Rain | 2,394 | 0 | 0 | $292.0K |
| Drought | 1,556 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 1,543 | 3 | 4 | $2.8M |
| Flood | 1,451 | 3 | 2 | $173.6M |
| Winter Weather | 883 | 9 | 8 | $370.3K |
| Tornado | 831 | 15 | 125 | $632.2M |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 774 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 751 | 2 | 0 | $52.7M |
| Blizzard | 593 | 2 | 13 | $0 |
| High Wind | 572 | 0 | 2 | $423.0K |
| Funnel Cloud | 374 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Excessive Heat | 329 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heavy Snow | 288 | 0 | 2 | $10.0K |
| Frost/Freeze | 263 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 207 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Ice Storm | 136 | 1 | 0 | $432.0K |
| Strong Wind | 116 | 0 | 0 | $41.9K |
| Heat | 73 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
Storm Events by Year
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,642 | 2 | 9 | $1.4M |
| 2024 | 2,532 | 12 | 50 | $134.2M |
| 2023 | 1,886 | 4 | 12 | $5.6M |
| 2022 | 1,514 | 7 | 7 | $226.8M |
| 2021 | 1,786 | 3 | 3 | $22.3M |
| 2020 | 1,588 | 9 | 211 | $1.8M |
| 2019 | 2,276 | 7 | 20 | $86.0M |
| 2018 | 2,735 | 3 | 52 | $346.3M |
| 2017 | 1,942 | 2 | 9 | $14.3M |
| 2016 | 1,880 | 3 | 17 | $40.3M |
| 2015 | 2,102 | 5 | 9 | $42.9M |
FEMA Disaster Declarations
How the 78 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download all 78 declarations as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
78 unique disaster declarations in Iowa.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4870 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2025-05-21 |
| 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 |
| 4732 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-08-25 |
| 4642 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-02-23 |
| 4561 | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-09-10 |
| 4557 | SEVERE STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2020-08-17 |
| 4483 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-23 |
| 3480 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3524 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4430 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-04-29 |
| 4421 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-03-23 |
| 4392 | SEVERE STORM AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-09-12 |
| 4386 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2018-08-20 |
| 4334 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-08-27 |
| 4289 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-10-31 |
| 4281 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2016-09-29 |
| 4234 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-07-31 |
| 4187 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-08-05 |
| 4184 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2014-07-24 |
| 4181 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-07-14 |
| 4135 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-07-31 |
| 4126 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-07-02 |
| 4119 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-05-31 |
| 4114 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2013-05-06 |
| 4018 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-08-30 |
| 4016 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-08-24 |
| 1998 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-06-27 |
| 1977 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-05-05 |
| 1930 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-07-29 |
| 1928 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-07-27 |
| 1880 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-03-02 |
| 1877 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-02-25 |
| 1854 | SEVERE STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-08-13 |
| 1763 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-05-27 |
| 1737 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2008-01-04 |
| 1727 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-09-14 |
| 1705 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-25 |
| 3275 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2007-03-30 |
| 1688 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-03-14 |
| 3239 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1518 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-05-25 |
| 1420 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2002-06-19 |
| 1367 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-05-02 |
| 1282 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-07-22 |
| 1277 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-05-21 |
| 1230 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1998-07-02 |
| 1191 | SEVERE SNOWSTORMS | DR | Snowstorm | 1997-11-20 |
| 1133 | SEVERE STORMS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-08-21 |
Showing 50 of 78 declarations.
FEMA National Risk Index
Composite natural hazard risk scores for Iowa counties based on FEMA's National Risk Index.
Avg County Risk Score
39.7/100
High Risk Counties
0
of 99 counties
Top Hazard by EAL
Riverine Flooding
$0.7B annual loss est.
Top 5 Hazards by Expected Annual Loss
#1
Riverine Flooding
$724.6M EAL
#2
Tornado
$354.0M EAL
#3
Drought
$222.5M EAL
#4
Cold Wave
$163.8M EAL
#5
Hail
$128.8M EAL
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) EAL = Expected Annual Loss. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
National Flood Insurance Program claims across Iowa from FEMA NFIP data.
Total Claims
14,685
Total Paid
$355.3M
Avg Per Claim
$24.2K
Counties With Claims
90
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
Counties in Iowa
99 counties with FEMA disaster data. Declaration counts measure past federal action; NRI rating is FEMA's modeled composite, so a high count is not a high rating.
| # | County | Disasters | NRI rating | Major |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clayton County | 27 | Very Low | 25 |
| 2 | Des Moines County | 27 | Relatively Low | 25 |
| 3 | Pottawattamie County | 26 | Relatively Low | 23 |
| 4 | Butler County | 25 | Very Low | 23 |
| 5 | Buchanan County | 25 | Very Low | 23 |
| 6 | Wright County | 24 | Very Low | 21 |
| 7 | Johnson County | 24 | Relatively Moderate | 22 |
| 8 | Harrison County | 24 | Very Low | 21 |
| 9 | Linn County | 23 | Relatively Moderate | 21 |
| 10 | Palo Alto County | 23 | Very Low | 20 |
| 11 | Crawford County | 23 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 12 | Cherokee County | 23 | Very Low | 20 |
| 13 | Howard County | 23 | Very Low | 21 |
| 14 | Iowa County | 23 | Very Low | 21 |
| 15 | Lee County | 22 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 16 | Humboldt County | 22 | Very Low | 19 |
| 17 | Audubon County | 22 | Very Low | 19 |
| 18 | Jones County | 22 | Very Low | 20 |
| 19 | Franklin County | 22 | Very Low | 20 |
| 20 | Fayette County | 22 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 21 | Buena Vista County | 22 | Very Low | 19 |
| 22 | Clinton County | 22 | Relatively Low | 20 |
| 23 | Allamakee County | 22 | Very Low | 20 |
| 24 | Pocahontas County | 22 | Very Low | 19 |
| 25 | Story County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 26 | Muscatine County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 27 | Winneshiek County | 21 | Very Low | 19 |
| 28 | Clay County | 21 | Very Low | 18 |
| 29 | Union County | 21 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 30 | Tama County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 31 | Dubuque County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 32 | Jackson County | 21 | Very Low | 19 |
| 33 | Hamilton County | 21 | Relatively Low | 19 |
| 34 | Monona County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 35 | Dallas County | 20 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 36 | Wapello County | 20 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 37 | Webster County | 20 | Relatively Low | 17 |
| 38 | Kossuth County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 39 | Louisa County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 40 | Marshall County | 20 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 41 | Shelby County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 42 | Madison County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 43 | Floyd County | 20 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 44 | Montgomery County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 45 | Mitchell County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 46 | Black Hawk County | 20 | Relatively Low | 18 |
| 47 | Polk County | 20 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 48 | Ringgold County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 49 | Mills County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 50 | Mahaska County | 20 | Very Low | 18 |
| 51 | Scott County | 20 | Relatively Moderate | 18 |
| 52 | Ida County | 20 | Very Low | 17 |
| 53 | Sac County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 54 | Marion County | 19 | Very Low | 17 |
| 55 | Emmet County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 56 | Greene County | 19 | Very Low | 16 |
| 57 | Fremont County | 19 | Very Low | 17 |
| 58 | Chickasaw County | 19 | Very Low | 17 |
| 59 | Cass County | 19 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 60 | Keokuk County | 19 | Very Low | 17 |
| 61 | Cedar County | 18 | Very Low | 16 |
| 62 | Hardin County | 18 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 63 | Calhoun County | 18 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 64 | Jasper County | 18 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 65 | Delaware County | 18 | Relatively Low | 16 |
| 66 | Benton County | 18 | Very Low | 16 |
| 67 | Dickinson County | 18 | Very Low | 15 |
| 68 | Woodbury County | 18 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 69 | Adair County | 17 | Relatively Low | 14 |
| 70 | Davis County | 17 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 71 | Bremer County | 17 | Very Low | 15 |
| 72 | Guthrie County | 17 | Very Low | 14 |
| 73 | Warren County | 17 | Very Low | 14 |
| 74 | Adams County | 17 | Very Low | 15 |
| 75 | Boone County | 17 | Very Low | 15 |
| 76 | Plymouth County | 16 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 77 | Page County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 78 | Henry County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 79 | Worth County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 80 | Monroe County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 81 | Clarke County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 82 | Van Buren County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 83 | Appanoose County | 16 | Very Low | 14 |
| 84 | Winnebago County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 85 | Lyon County | 16 | Very Low | 13 |
| 86 | Carroll County | 16 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 87 | Sioux County | 15 | Relatively Low | 12 |
| 88 | Lucas County | 15 | Very Low | 13 |
| 89 | Hancock County | 15 | Very Low | 12 |
| 90 | Washington County | 15 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 91 | Grundy County | 15 | Very Low | 13 |
| 92 | Wayne County | 15 | Very Low | 13 |
| 93 | Poweshiek County | 15 | Very Low | 13 |
| 94 | Osceola County | 15 | Very Low | 12 |
| 95 | O'Brien County | 15 | Very Low | 12 |
| 96 | Cerro Gordo County | 15 | Relatively Low | 13 |
| 97 | Taylor County | 14 | Very Low | 11 |
| 98 | Decatur County | 14 | Very Low | 12 |
| 99 | Jefferson County | 12 | Very Low | 10 |
Highest-risk counties by FEMA National Risk Index
Declaration counts above measure past federal action; FEMA's NRI is a composite of Expected Annual Loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. By that separate measure the highest-risk counties in Iowa are Polk (Relatively Moderate), Johnson (Relatively Moderate), Linn (Relatively Moderate), Scott (Relatively Moderate), Woodbury (Relatively Moderate). Compare any county's recorded history with the Historical Activity tool.
All 99 counties in Iowa are listed above.
Compare beyond this profile
Nationwide states with similar NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Iowa: nearest states by average county National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar average NRI composite
Nearest states by mean county FEMA NRI score. Iowa: 39.7 across 99 scored counties.
Similar declaration volume
Nearest states by FEMA declaration count. Iowa: 78. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Learn more about natural disaster risk, preparedness, and data interpretation.
Preparing for Natural Disasters
Essential steps to prepare your household for the most common natural hazards.
Hazard Risk by Region
How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.
Climate Change & Disasters
How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What natural disasters affect Iowa?
Iowa is affected by severe storm, flood, tornado, biological. The most common disaster type is Severe Storm, based on 78 FEMA disaster declarations on record.
How many FEMA disaster declarations has Iowa had?
Iowa has received 78 FEMA disaster declarations, including 72 major disaster declarations. The declaration history covers several disaster types, including Severe Storm (33), Flood (30), Tornado (5).
What severe weather events are most common in Iowa?
The most common severe weather events in Iowa include thunderstorm wind (4,928 events), hail (3,736 events), heavy rain (2,394 events). Over that 2015-2025 NOAA record, these events resulted in 57 fatalities and $1.3B in property and crop damage.
How active is Iowa's federal disaster declaration record?
Iowa has a moderate level of historical federal declaration activity, based on 78 FEMA declaration records. This band is not a future-risk forecast. Separately, NOAA storm events from 2015-2025 record 57 fatalities and 399 injuries. NOAA-listed property and crop damage totals $1.3B.
How many flood insurance claims has Iowa had?
Iowa has 14,685 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims with $355.3M total paid out. Claims average $24.2K, with 90 counties reporting flood insurance claims.
Which counties in Iowa have the most disaster declarations?
Among 99 counties in Iowa, those with the most FEMA declaration records include Clayton (27 declarations), Des Moines (27 declarations), Pottawattamie (26 declarations). County-level records show where federal declarations have concentrated across the state.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
What this means for Iowa
Clayton alone accounts for 35% of Iowa's FEMA disaster declarations, out of 99 counties tracked statewide.
- The declaration record is uneven within the state: Clayton and Des Moines carry the most FEMA declarations. Browse counties
- See how Iowa ranks against other states for disaster frequency and damage. State rankings
- Learn what FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and damage figures do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts and damage totals describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
PlainHazard derives this presentation from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries. Its county comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.