Jefferson County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jefferson County's overall risk Very Low (score 27.1 of 100, higher than 27% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 450 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 Moderate | 82.3 | $900K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 | $592K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | $380K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.9 | $613K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 54.1 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 41.4 | $40K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 39.2 | $43K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 24.4 | $261K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.3 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 54.7 | $52K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.1 | $114K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 20.4 | $2.1M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 13.1 | $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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 133 | 0 | $124K | 12th of 99 | 353rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 118 | 0 | $996K | 39th of 99 | 1569th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 93 | 0 | $1.1M | 67th of 99 | 1234th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 24 | 0 | $550K | 90th of 99 | 1607th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 0 | $598K | 70th of 99 | 626th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | $29M | 67th of 99 | 1156th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $74M | 94th of 99 | 1687th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $216K | 90th of 99 | 1772nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 31st of 99 | 1374th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | $80K | 73rd of 99 | 924th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $168K | 21st of 99 | 777th 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 Jefferson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.