Guthrie County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Guthrie County's overall risk Very Low (score 26.5 of 100, higher than 26% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 707 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 | 94.9 | $4.0M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.7 | $13K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 64.1 | $3.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 59.9 | $601K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.8 | $704K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 35.1 | $66K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 34.6 | $58K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 31.7 | $721K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 39.1 | $39K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 30.0 | $213K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 22.0 | $4.2M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 10.1 | $3K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 9.3 | $14K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.3 | $37K |
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 | 223 | 0 | $4.4M | 30th of 99 | 754th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 155 | 0 | $7.8M | 56th of 99 | 1779th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 80 | 0 | $37M | 50th of 99 | 881st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 72 | 0 | $9.7M | 90th of 99 | 1291st of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 43 | 0 | $48K | 26th of 99 | 173rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 34 | 0 | $1.7M | 42nd of 99 | 742nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 0 | $15M | 77th of 99 | 1183rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 30 | 0 | $156M | 44th of 99 | 929th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 26 | 0 | $5.9M | 57th of 99 | 578th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 86th of 99 | 1747th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $223K | 61st of 99 | 1536th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 12th of 99 | 963rd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Guthrie County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.