Woodbury County, Iowa: hazard risk
FEMA rates Woodbury County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.3 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, hail, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,213 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.5 | $16M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 95.0 | $2.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.7 | $293K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.6 | $631K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.1 | $1.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | $1.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 | $5.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $1.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.2 | $18M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 87.4 | $932K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.0 | $26K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.7 | $250K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 30.8 | $84K |
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 | 385 | 0 | $7.9M | 14th of 99 | 609th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 361 | 0 | $22M | 35th of 99 | 1442nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 157 | 1 | $351K | 43rd of 99 | 797th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 83 | 0 | $35M | 61st of 99 | 1011th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 60 | 2 | $712M | 42nd of 99 | 590th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 55 | 0 | $47M | 26th of 99 | 721st of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 51 | 0 | $306K | 44th of 99 | 764th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 29 | 1 | – | 15th of 99 | 720th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 0 | – | 99th of 99 | 1070th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 87th of 99 | 1402nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $53K | 48th of 99 | 1305th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $365K | 7th of 99 | 817th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Woodbury County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.