Cerro Gordo County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cerro Gordo County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.6 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, winter weather. Its storm record holds 854 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 | 97.6 | $4.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.1 | $343K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.3 | $6.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $697K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | $2.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 70.1 | $942K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.0 | $12M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.1 | $57K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 34.3 | $411 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26.7 | $11K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 24.2 | $40K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 21.0 | $70K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 19.9 | $59K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 11.5 | $2K |
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 | 223 | 1 | $4.9M | 17th of 99 | 1171st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 184 | 0 | $1.9M | 35th of 99 | 819th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 105 | 0 | $2.7M | 42nd of 99 | 782nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 82 | 0 | $42M | 29th of 99 | 613th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 76 | 0 | – | 20th of 99 | 146th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 55 | 0 | $3.2M | 7th of 99 | 371st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 0 | $16M | 31st of 99 | 466th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 0 | $9.4M | 13th of 99 | 317th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 24 | 0 | $105M | 62nd of 99 | 1094th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $241K | 8th of 99 | 426th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 62nd of 99 | 1705th 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 Cerro Gordo County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.