Kossuth County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kossuth County's overall risk Very Low (score 32.3 of 100, higher than 32% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 835 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 | 93.9 | $3.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 71.1 | $204K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.8 | $3.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 61.1 | $2.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 51.7 | $424K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.9 | $560K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 35.7 | $66K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 34.4 | $194K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 31.0 | $506 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 26.7 | $4.7M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 13.3 | $7K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 11.5 | $18K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.1 | $28K |
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 | 197 | 0 | $2.7M | 80th of 99 | 1409th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 184 | 0 | $5.9M | 99th of 99 | 2111th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 115 | 2 | $2.5M | 89th of 99 | 1288th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 90 | 0 | $66M | 58th of 99 | 966th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 61 | 0 | – | 51st of 99 | 316th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 50 | 0 | $2.8M | 51st of 99 | 886th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 2 | $214M | 92nd of 99 | 1569th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 0 | $11M | 84th of 99 | 702nd of 3,076 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | $197M | 69th of 99 | 1208th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 99th of 99 | 1964th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $23K | 63rd of 99 | 1596th 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 Kossuth County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.