Shelby County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Shelby County's overall risk Very Low (score 22.8 of 100, higher than 22% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 590 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 | 78.8 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 78.5 | $1.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.2 | $11K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 63.2 | $3.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 54.3 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $698K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 41.1 | $89K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 30.8 | $49K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 36.2 | $301K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21.1 | $13K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 19.5 | $3.8M |
| Lightning | Very Low | 8.9 | $46K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 7.7 | $12K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 134 | 0 | $231K | 41st of 99 | 920th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 130 | 0 | $2.1M | 75th of 99 | 1912th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 120 | 0 | $15M | 61st of 99 | 986th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 55 | 0 | $5.9M | 5th of 99 | 199th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 52 | 0 | $1.6M | 21st of 99 | 533rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 0 | $18M | 63rd of 99 | 918th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 24 | 0 | $177K | 13th of 99 | 623rd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 20 | 0 | $2.5M | 99th of 99 | 2061st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 19 | 0 | $130M | 80th of 99 | 1415th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 96th of 99 | 2014th 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 Shelby County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.