Palo Alto County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Palo Alto County's overall risk Very Low (score 15.5 of 100, higher than 15% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 580 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 | 83.0 | $1.8M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77.7 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 59.2 | $512K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.3 | $2.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 50.2 | $102K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $1.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 22.6 | $334K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 25.6 | $38K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 16.3 | $117 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 11.0 | $6K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.0 | $29K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 9.0 | $1.9M |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 6.2 | $10K |
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 | 125 | 0 | $9.4M | 58th of 99 | 1142nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 102 | 0 | $3.4M | 91st of 99 | 2022nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 101 | 0 | $2.3M | 44th of 99 | 799th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 63 | 0 | $32M | 38th of 99 | 766th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 0 | $2.2M | 17th of 99 | 494th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 39 | 0 | – | 45th of 99 | 250th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 36 | 0 | $131M | 23rd of 99 | 707th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 0 | $5.9M | 21st of 99 | 371st of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 0 | $23M | 78th of 99 | 1184th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 60th of 99 | 1697th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $567K | 27th of 99 | 959th 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 Palo Alto County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.