Clay County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clay County's overall risk Very Low (score 36.4 of 100, higher than 36% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,017 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $202K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 61.7 | $467K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 53.8 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.8 | $11M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 42.8 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 39.4 | $77K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $486K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 32.6 | $564 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 29.6 | $21K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 16.6 | $65K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.2 | $22K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.4 | $57K |
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 | 252 | 0 | $56M | 5th of 99 | 273rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 191 | 0 | $9.9M | 21st of 99 | 1240th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 188 | 1 | $29M | 9th of 99 | 212th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 184 | 1 | $13M | 10th of 99 | 293rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 49 | 0 | $1.3M | 9th of 99 | 434th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 46 | 0 | $7.9M | 7th of 99 | 476th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 0 | $4.5M | 58th of 99 | 851st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 35 | 0 | – | 22nd of 99 | 376th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 24 | 0 | – | 12th of 99 | 602nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 89th of 99 | 1547th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $20K | 4th of 99 | 632nd of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $17K | 81st of 99 | 1987th 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 Clay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.