Humboldt County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Humboldt County's overall risk Very Low (score 24.1 of 100, higher than 24% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 551 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 | 95.3 | $3.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 63.2 | $502K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 56.4 | $1.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $94K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $1.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 33.8 | $396K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 28.9 | $35K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 25.6 | $241 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 18.9 | $2.7M |
| Lightning | Very Low | 12.9 | $53K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 9.4 | $19K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.8 | $2K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 8.6 | $10K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 5.1 | $2K |
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 | 102 | 0 | $1.2M | 60th of 99 | 1183rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 97 | 0 | $2.8M | 34th of 99 | 609th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 0 | $2.3M | 68th of 99 | 1865th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 86 | 0 | $37M | 12th of 99 | 247th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 0 | $2.3M | 4th of 99 | 324th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 35 | 0 | $5.9M | 7th of 99 | 232nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | $131M | 12th of 99 | 563rd of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 0 | $13M | 27th of 99 | 440th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 0 | $14K | 37th of 99 | 214th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 45th of 99 | 1529th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 72nd of 99 | 1814th 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 Humboldt County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.