Buchanan County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Buchanan County's overall risk Very Low (score 24.0 of 100, higher than 24% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 822 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 Moderate | 81.1 | $1.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74.0 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 48.6 | $98K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.2 | $838K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 38.6 | $7.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 29.1 | $628K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 25.3 | $312 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 24.7 | $150K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 24.3 | $37K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 16.7 | $32K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 14.9 | $81K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 12.4 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 7.2 | $4K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 276 | 0 | $6.4M | 14th of 99 | 1103rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 164 | 0 | $5.3M | 50th of 99 | 1036th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 162 | 0 | $1.1M | 17th of 99 | 408th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 88 | 1 | $13M | 31st of 99 | 647th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 0 | $18M | 20th of 99 | 344th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 0 | $623K | 73rd of 99 | 646th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 0 | $47K | 61st of 99 | 589th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 0 | $223K | 86th of 99 | 1673rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $657K | 30th of 99 | 969th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | $24M | 99th of 99 | 2116th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 72nd of 99 | 1720th 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 Buchanan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.