Clayton County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Clayton County's overall risk Very Low (score 42.2 of 100, higher than 42% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 716 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 91.1 | $71K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.4 | $1.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 64.3 | $414K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 58.0 | $9.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 54.7 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 54.0 | $1.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 42.6 | $284K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 41.7 | $472K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 30.2 | $33K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 21.6 | $20K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 18.8 | $70K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 14.9 | $4K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.5 | $17K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 12.3 | $5K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 185 | 0 | $94M | 16th of 99 | 314th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 167 | 0 | $3.8M | 85th of 99 | 1984th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 142 | 0 | $14M | 95th of 99 | 1841st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 100 | 2 | $96K | 80th of 99 | 1172nd of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 0 | $320K | 53rd of 99 | 391st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 22 | 0 | – | 96th of 99 | 865th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 21 | 0 | – | 81st of 99 | 1423rd of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 3 | $76M | 98th of 99 | 2007th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 15 | 0 | $33K | 25th of 99 | 1023rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 0 | $677K | 98th of 99 | 2112th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $7K | 88th of 99 | 2140th 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 Clayton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.