Adair County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Adair County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 49.5 of 100, higher than 49% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 612 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.6 | $2.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.1 | $5.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $905K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 71.4 | $900K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 62.4 | $1.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.5 | $502K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 40.3 | $48K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 38.3 | $38K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.6 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 34.1 | $16K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 23.8 | $2.5M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 14.7 | $3K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 12.3 | $11K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 10.2 | $30K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 175 | 0 | $16M | 43rd of 99 | 937th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 158 | 0 | $3.2M | 51st of 99 | 1695th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 0 | $8.8M | 87th of 99 | 1253rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 40 | 0 | $31M | 74th of 99 | 1179th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 36 | 1 | $1.8M | 35th of 99 | 684th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 6 | $62M | 68th of 99 | 1007th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | $156M | 39th of 99 | 862nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 31 | 0 | $53K | 41st of 99 | 224th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 1 | $5.9M | 54th of 99 | 551st of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 63rd of 99 | 1709th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $52K | 39th of 99 | 1191st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Adair County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.