Dallas County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dallas County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 60.6 of 100, higher than 60% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 1,181 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 | 93.4 | $4.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.7 | $9.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 71.6 | $256K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 68.5 | $375K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 67.1 | $1.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.7 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.4 | $17M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 58.6 | $2.5M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $444K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.9 | $5K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 40.6 | $51K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 25.6 | $86K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 12.6 | $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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 350 | 0 | $17M | 11th of 99 | 1005th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 249 | 0 | $2.3M | 9th of 99 | 562nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 174 | 0 | $53M | 7th of 99 | 207th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 141 | 0 | $43K | 3rd of 99 | 60th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 88 | 0 | $16M | 64th of 99 | 1032nd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 58 | 0 | $11M | 6th of 99 | 191st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 0 | $1.6M | 40th of 99 | 739th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 0 | $5.9M | 52nd of 99 | 548th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 25 | 0 | $156M | 60th of 99 | 1088th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 12 | 0 | $1.6M | 5th of 99 | 357th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 85th of 99 | 1746th 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 Dallas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.