Pocahontas County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pocahontas County's overall risk Very Low (score 33.0 of 100, higher than 33% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 595 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 | 98.2 | $5.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 63.1 | $449K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 55.4 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 55.4 | $83K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 49.7 | $1.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.8 | $381K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 33.9 | $42K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 24.0 | $89K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 18.1 | $2.3M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 16.9 | $83 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13.2 | $31K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 11.8 | $13K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 4.2 | $1K |
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 | 145 | 0 | $2.1M | 70th of 99 | 1263rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 0 | $2.5M | 97th of 99 | 2096th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 0 | $2.8M | 51st of 99 | 933rd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 0 | $46M | 36th of 99 | 539th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 43 | 0 | $31M | 66th of 99 | 1069th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 42 | 0 | – | 35th of 99 | 200th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 42 | 0 | $2.0M | 24th of 99 | 570th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | $189M | 20th of 99 | 647th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 0 | $5.9M | 34th of 99 | 425th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 78th of 99 | 1729th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $22K | 84th of 99 | 2002nd 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 Pocahontas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.