Franklin County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Franklin County's overall risk Very Low (score 21.9 of 100, higher than 21% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 602 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 | 95.7 | $4.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 53.7 | $432K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.6 | $1.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 50.5 | $91K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 50.3 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 32.3 | $446K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 27.0 | $37K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 20.1 | $166 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 14.0 | $2.4M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 11.6 | $3K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 8.3 | $18K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 7.5 | $10K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 6.1 | $27K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 6.1 | $3K |
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 | 142 | 0 | $3.3M | 69th of 99 | 1878th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 125 | 0 | $1.0M | 72nd of 99 | 1300th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 98 | 0 | $2.8M | 50th of 99 | 894th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $66M | 62nd of 99 | 1024th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 43 | 0 | $2.4M | 22nd of 99 | 537th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 37 | 0 | $9.4M | 17th of 99 | 341st of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 0 | $9.0M | 86th of 99 | 1403rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 28 | 0 | $131M | 50th of 99 | 983rd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 0 | – | 52nd of 99 | 341st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 83rd of 99 | 1739th 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 Franklin County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.