Wayne County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wayne County's overall risk Very Low (score 22.0 of 100, higher than 21% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 493 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 | 94.8 | $1.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.7 | $326K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 51.5 | $213K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 44.5 | $594K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 40.1 | $318K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 37.9 | $37K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 55.6 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.2 | $24K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 20.3 | $22K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 14.0 | $1.3M |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 12.1 | $7K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 11.2 | $29K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.9 | $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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 0 | $1.7M | 95th of 99 | 2089th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 88 | 0 | $39M | 19th of 99 | 398th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $1.5M | 87th of 99 | 1604th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 0 | $1.6M | 86th of 99 | 1231st of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 61 | 0 | $285K | 16th of 99 | 126th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 0 | $145M | 45th of 99 | 623rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 26 | 0 | $156M | 46th of 99 | 951st of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | $5.9M | 80th of 99 | 686th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $1.1M | 72nd of 99 | 1258th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 54th of 99 | 1653rd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $78K | 77th of 99 | 1936th 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 Wayne County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.