Adams County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Adams County's overall risk Very Low (score 20.4 of 100, higher than 20% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 424 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 | 95.6 | $3.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 56.4 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 53.0 | $468K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 50.3 | $286K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 38.0 | $848K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 27.9 | $292K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.8 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 31.7 | $17K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 19.1 | $18K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 18.9 | $16K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 11.5 | $1.6M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.4 | $1K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 8.2 | $9K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 5.2 | $18K |
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 | 102 | 0 | $2.7M | 71st of 99 | 1295th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 81 | 0 | $2.8M | 71st of 99 | 1896th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 62 | 0 | $8.0M | 67th of 99 | 1051st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 40 | 0 | $31M | 77th of 99 | 1238th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 27 | 0 | $156M | 24th of 99 | 709th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 27 | 0 | $1.6M | 34th of 99 | 656th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 1 | $78M | 50th of 99 | 710th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 25 | 0 | – | 29th of 99 | 179th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 0 | $5.9M | 37th of 99 | 436th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 39th of 99 | 1505th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 69th of 99 | 1787th 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 Adams County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.