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Iowa natural disaster risk

Ratings for all 99 counties, the federal disaster record and flood insurance across the state.

72major disasters since 1953 (14th most)
$1.8Bexpected losses a year
0.5%of homes with flood insurance
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0

Iowa has had 72 major federal disaster declarations for natural events since 1953. FEMA expects about $1.8 billion a year in losses from natural hazards across the state. Inland flooding is the costliest hazard in 72 of its 99 counties, followed by drought in 19. None is rated Very High overall. About 0.5% of homes carry federal flood insurance, and the program has paid $356 million on 14,688 claims here since 1978.

Very High0counties
High0counties
Moderate5counties
Low30counties

Highest overall risk

1Polk CountyModerate
2Johnson CountyModerate
3Linn CountyModerate
4Scott CountyModerate
5Woodbury CountyModerate

Lowest risk (50,000+ people)

1Warren CountyVery Low
2Dallas CountyLow
3Dubuque CountyLow
4Story CountyLow
5Black Hawk CountyLow

Top hazards

Inland floodingtop risk in 72 counties
Droughttop risk in 19 counties
Cold wavetop risk in 5 counties

Recent federal declarations

All states ›
Sep 1, 2026Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster

Largest counties

Polk County

492,316 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Linn County

230,253 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Scott County

174,636 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Johnson County

152,809 people

Moderate Tornado

Black Hawk County

131,044 people

Low Inland flooding

Woodbury County

105,853 people

Moderate Inland flooding

Dallas County

99,673 people

Low Inland flooding

Dubuque County

99,148 people

Low Inland flooding

Story County

98,533 people

Low Inland flooding

Pottawattamie County

93,646 people

Low Inland flooding

Warren County

52,398 people

Very Low Inland flooding

Clinton County

46,429 people

Low Inland flooding

Cities in Iowa

All 19 cities ›
Des Moines212,421Cedar Rapids137,264Davenport100,913Sioux City86,101Iowa City75,752Ankeny72,615West Des Moines71,083Ames67,669Waterloo67,008Council Bluffs62,586Dubuque59,174Urbandale46,595Marion41,896Cedar Falls40,888Bettendorf39,647

All 99 counties

NamePeopleOverall riskTop hazardDeclarationsHomes insured
Adair County7,418LowCold wave150%
Adams County3,704Very LowDrought150.1%
Allamakee County14,052Very LowInland flooding200.4%
Appanoose County12,311Very LowInland flooding140%
Audubon County5,674Very LowDrought200%
Benton County25,558Very LowInland flooding160.6%
Black Hawk County131,044LowInland flooding181%
Boone County26,715Very LowInland flooding150.2%
Bremer County24,970Very LowInland flooding151.1%
Buchanan County20,565Very LowInland flooding230.8%
Buena Vista County20,823Very LowInland flooding200.1%
Butler County14,334Very LowInland flooding231.4%
Calhoun County9,927LowDrought160.1%
Carroll County20,756LowTornado140.2%
Cass County13,124LowCold wave170.3%
Cedar County18,505Very LowInland flooding160.3%
Cerro Gordo County43,117LowInland flooding130.4%
Cherokee County11,649Very LowInland flooding210.8%
Chickasaw County12,002Very LowInland flooding170.6%
Clarke County9,747Very LowDrought140%
Clay County16,377Very LowInland flooding191.8%
Clayton County17,028Very LowInland flooding250.9%
Clinton County46,429LowInland flooding200.5%
Crawford County16,525LowInland flooding210%
Dallas County99,673LowInland flooding180.2%
Davis County9,094LowDrought150%
Decatur County7,645Very LowDrought120%
Delaware County17,486LowInland flooding160.7%
Des Moines County38,895LowInland flooding250.6%
Dickinson County17,612Very LowInland flooding160.2%
Dubuque County99,148LowInland flooding190.2%
Emmet County9,388Very LowCold wave170.2%
Fayette County19,509LowInland flooding200.4%
Floyd County15,615LowInland flooding181.1%
Franklin County10,019Very LowDrought200.2%
Fremont County6,605Very LowInland flooding171.3%
Greene County8,769Very LowDrought170%
Grundy County12,329Very LowInland flooding130.1%
Guthrie County10,623Very LowInland flooding150.2%
Hamilton County15,039LowInland flooding190.1%
Hancock County10,795Very LowDrought130.1%
Hardin County16,876LowInland flooding160.4%
Harrison County14,559Very LowInland flooding222%
Henry County20,465Very LowInland flooding140%
Howard County9,449Very LowInland flooding210.3%
Humboldt County9,597Very LowDrought200.3%
Ida County7,001Very LowInland flooding180.2%
Iowa County16,661Very LowInland flooding210.8%
Jackson County19,475Very LowInland flooding190.2%
Jasper County37,808LowInland flooding170.1%
Jefferson County15,635Very LowInland flooding100.1%
Johnson County152,809ModerateTornado220.7%
Jones County20,631Very LowInland flooding200.4%
Keokuk County10,033Very LowInland flooding170%
Kossuth County14,815Very LowInland flooding180%
Lee County33,538LowInland flooding200.1%
Linn County230,253ModerateInland flooding210.7%
Louisa County10,837Very LowInland flooding181.6%
Lucas County8,623Very LowInland flooding130%
Lyon County11,934Very LowInland flooding140.7%
Madison County16,548Very LowInland flooding180.1%
Mahaska County22,167Very LowInland flooding180.1%
Marion County33,404Very LowInland flooding170.1%
Marshall County40,092LowInland flooding180.1%
Mills County14,475Very LowInland flooding180.5%
Mitchell County10,556Very LowInland flooding180.2%
Monona County8,738Very LowInland flooding180.6%
Monroe County7,577Very LowDrought140%
Montgomery County10,330Very LowInland flooding181.3%
Muscatine County43,233LowInland flooding190.8%
O'Brien County14,182Very LowInland flooding130.1%
Osceola County6,192Very LowInland flooding130.4%
Page County15,202Very LowInland flooding140%
Palo Alto County8,984Very LowCold wave210.1%
Plymouth County25,687LowInland flooding140.2%
Pocahontas County7,078Very LowDrought200%
Polk County492,316ModerateInland flooding190.4%
Pottawattamie County93,646LowInland flooding241.3%
Poweshiek County18,662Very LowDrought130.1%
Ringgold County4,653Very LowDrought180%
Sac County9,814Very LowInland flooding170.1%
Scott County174,636ModerateInland flooding180.9%
Shelby County11,738Very LowInland flooding180.3%
Sioux County35,872LowInland flooding131.2%
Story County98,533LowInland flooding200.3%
Tama County17,081LowInland flooding190.4%
Taylor County5,889Very LowDrought120%
Union County12,125LowCold wave190.2%
Van Buren County7,203Very LowInland flooding140.6%
Wapello County35,423LowInland flooding180.1%
Warren County52,398Very LowInland flooding160.1%
Washington County22,565LowInland flooding130.9%
Wayne County6,492Very LowDrought130%
Webster County36,988LowTornado180.1%
Winnebago County10,679Very LowDrought140%
Winneshiek County20,051Very LowInland flooding190.6%
Woodbury County105,853ModerateInland flooding160.5%
Worth County7,443Very LowDrought140.1%
Wright County12,937Very LowDrought220.3%

Linked names have a full page. Overall risk from the FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); declarations are federal disaster and emergency declarations for natural events since 1953 (OpenFEMA); homes insured is the share with NFIP flood policies.