Clarke County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clarke County's overall risk Very Low (score 18.4 of 100, higher than 18% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 549 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 | 92.6 | $2.9M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.5 | $7K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 59.6 | $2.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 54.3 | $656K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.3 | $314K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.6 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.0 | $502K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 34.4 | $58K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 42.0 | $43K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 22.2 | $29K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.9 | $23K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 9.6 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Very Low | 9.6 | $46K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 7.8 | $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 | 125 | 0 | $1.1M | 36th of 99 | 820th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 0 | $2.0M | 61st of 99 | 1816th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 83 | 0 | – | 4th of 99 | 67th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 1 | $7.9M | 48th of 99 | 856th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $33M | 26th of 99 | 542nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 33 | 0 | $156M | 9th of 99 | 538th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 0 | $5.9M | 38th of 99 | 446th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 0 | $1.3M | 46th of 99 | 824th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 20 | 0 | $12M | 65th of 99 | 948th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 42nd of 99 | 1520th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $35K | 45th of 99 | 1295th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $51K | 6th of 99 | 810th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Clarke County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.