Polk County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.0 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, tornado, hail. Its storm record holds 2,373 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.2 | $11M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.1 | $31M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.9 | $7.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 96.7 | $11M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.8 | $3.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.7 | $1.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.3 | $9.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.3 | $506K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | $61M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $816K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.4 | $6K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.8 | $820K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 57.7 | $91K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 27.5 | $14K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 730 | 1 | $135M | 2nd of 99 | 291st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 670 | 0 | $26M | 1st of 99 | 42nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 350 | 0 | $229K | 1st of 99 | 23rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 295 | 3 | $171M | 1st of 99 | 109th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 87 | 1 | $17M | 63rd of 99 | 1020th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 68 | 2 | $304M | 1st of 99 | 60th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 42 | 0 | $2.4M | 1st of 99 | 57th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 41 | 0 | $4.4M | 25th of 99 | 586th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | $156M | 35th of 99 | 837th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 1 | $5.9M | 46th of 99 | 503rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 6 | 3 | $177K | 34th of 99 | 1446th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Polk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.