Appanoose County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Appanoose County's overall risk Very Low (score 41.2 of 100, higher than 41% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 563 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 | 96.3 | $2.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.1 | $2.2M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.7 | $544K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.1 | $6K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.5 | $708K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $286K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 50.0 | $757K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.3 | $164K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 28.8 | $24K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59.5 | $65K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 31.5 | $70K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 30.0 | $2.8M |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 23.1 | $17K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 9.1 | $1K |
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 | 114 | 0 | $1.3M | 65th of 99 | 1227th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 113 | 0 | $3.1M | 74th of 99 | 1910th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 96 | 0 | – | 5th of 99 | 74th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 71 | 0 | $35M | 39th of 99 | 778th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 64 | 0 | $1.9M | 83rd of 99 | 1204th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | $156M | 27th of 99 | 733rd of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $26M | 80th of 99 | 1239th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 0 | $5.9M | 64th of 99 | 606th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $886K | 73rd of 99 | 1263rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $249K | 18th of 99 | 718th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 51st of 99 | 1616th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Appanoose County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.