Webster County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Webster County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 60.0 of 100, higher than 59% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,007 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 | 96.0 | $3.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.1 | $9.9M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.2 | $2.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $243K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.6 | $865K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.1 | $118K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 47.1 | $7.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 33.9 | $587K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 30.4 | $127K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 61.5 | $3K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 20.6 | $35K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19.1 | $8K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13.6 | $35K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 13.1 | $4K |
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 | 226 | 0 | $50M | 44th of 99 | 947th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 216 | 0 | $12M | 41st of 99 | 1584th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 158 | 1 | $51M | 18th of 99 | 347th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 111 | 0 | $135K | 13th of 99 | 115th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 95 | 0 | $3.4M | 77th of 99 | 1153rd of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 65 | 0 | $19M | 43rd of 99 | 596th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 47 | 0 | $2.9M | 31st of 99 | 636th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 34 | 0 | $131M | 52nd of 99 | 994th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 33 | 0 | $5.9M | 51st of 99 | 544th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $177K | 92nd of 99 | 1826th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $147K | 50th of 99 | 1370th 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 Webster County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.