Des Moines County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Des Moines County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 55.8 of 100, higher than 55% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 709 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.0 | $1.7M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $1.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 85.0 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $1.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | $2.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 67.0 | $194K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | $454K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.7 | $8K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.7 | $93K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $8.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 36.6 | $598K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 56.7 | $408K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 42.9 | $32K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 15.4 | $4K |
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 | 246 | 0 | $5.1M | 4th of 99 | 531st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 134 | 0 | $649K | 9th of 99 | 291st of 3,077 |
| Hail | 123 | 0 | $23M | 34th of 99 | 810th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 98 | 0 | $16M | 11th of 99 | 224th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 24 | 0 | $19M | 60th of 99 | 875th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | $37M | 64th of 99 | 1124th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 0 | $1.2M | 71st of 99 | 632nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 0 | $200K | 79th of 99 | 1527th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $259K | 7th of 99 | 384th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | $919 | 28th of 99 | 1187th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | $16K | 62nd of 99 | 647th 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 Des Moines County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.