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County disaster-history profile

Data updated Aug 21, 2026 · Sources validated Aug 21, 2026 · Current conditions: Live Dashboard →

Polk County, Iowa disaster history

Explore FEMA administrative declarations and NOAA county-coded observed-event records, with coverage, patterns, and limitations kept separate.

Two official histories, kept separate

Administrative

FEMA declarations

Unique declarations
20
Coverage
1964–2026

Leading categories

  • Flood8
  • Severe storm7
  • Biological2

+3 more categories in full details

Full source details

Observed reports

NOAA events

Unique county-event records
1,925
Coverage
1996–2026

Leading categories

  • High wind620
  • Hail583
  • Severe storm350

+4 more categories in full details

Full source details
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Full source details and state comparisons

FEMA declarations and NOAA event reports remain in separate panels because they answer different questions.

Administrative records

FEMA declaration history

Unique federal disaster declarations that include a county designation. A declaration is a government action, not a complete census of physical events.

Unique FEMA declarations
20
County designation records
20

Coverage: Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026

Record categories

  • Flood8
  • Severe storm7
  • Biological2
  • Hurricane1
  • Tornado1
  • Winter storm1

Same-source state comparison

This county
20
Iowa county median
20

This county count matches the Iowa county median for the same source and coverage period. Based on 99 county equivalents.

Observed-event reports

NOAA observed-event history

Distinct Storm Events records coded to this county. Forecast-zone and marine-zone reports are excluded from these county totals.

Unique NOAA county-event records
1,925

Coverage: Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026

Record categories

  • High wind620
  • Hail583
  • Severe storm350
  • Flood268
  • Tornado60
  • Lightning42
  • Other2

Same-source state comparison

This county
1,925
Iowa county median
351

This county count is 1,574 above the Iowa county median for the same source and coverage period. Based on 99 county equivalents.

Year-by-year official records

Years appear newest first when at least one source has a record. FEMA administrative declarations and NOAA observed county-event records remain in separate columns and are never added or ranked together.

FEMA administrative records

Unique federal disaster declarations that include this county, grouped by the declaration record’s incident start year. A declaration is a government action, not a physical-event census.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · Coverage: Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026

NOAA observed-event records

Distinct NOAA Storm Events records explicitly coded to this county, grouped by event start year. Forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded from county counts.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · Coverage: Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026

Annual FEMA unique declaration and NOAA county-event record counts, kept as separate source measures
YearUnique FEMA declarationsNOAA county-event records
2025033
2024268
2023014
2022054
2021062
2020370
20191127
20181134
2017057
2016067
2015089
20140117
2013084
2012053
2011083
20101109
2009082
20081154
2007151
2006048
2005146
2004161
2003040
2002043
2001051
2000038
199909
1998157
1997114
1996010
199310
199010
197410
196920
196510

When NOAA county-event records began

Monthly counts use only NOAA county-coded observed-event start dates. FEMA declaration dates are excluded.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · Coverage: Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026

Exact monthly observed-event record counts
MonthRecords
January2
February17
March88
April156
May316
June563
July366
August238
September109
October29
November16
December25

Compare with another county

Compare like-for-like official record counts. FEMA declarations and NOAA observed-event records remain separate.

Comparing Polk County, Iowa with Jefferson County, Alabama

Unique FEMA declarations

FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026

Polk County, Iowa
20
Jefferson County, Alabama
39

Unique NOAA county-event records

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026

Polk County, Iowa
1,925
Jefferson County, Alabama
1,116

Comparison updated to Jefferson County, Alabama. FEMA: 20 versus 39. NOAA: 1925 versus 1116.

Recent representative records by source

These bounded, newest-first lists make official identifiers inspectable. Aggregate totals above come from each validated corpus, not from counting only the records shown here.

FEMA representative declarations

Administrative declaration dates and incident periods from OpenFEMA.

  1. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4784
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  2. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4779
    Record type
    Tornado
    Open official record

  3. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4557
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  5. FEMA administrative declaration

    COVID-19 PANDEMIC

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4483
    Record type
    Biological
    Open official record

  6. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4421
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

  7. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 4386
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  8. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1930
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  9. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1763
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  10. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE WINTER STORMS

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1688
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  11. FEMA administrative declaration

    HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 3239
    Record type
    Hurricane
    Open official record

  12. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1518
    Record type
    Severe storm
    Open official record

  13. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1230
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

  14. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE SNOWSTORMS

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 1191
    Record type
    Winter storm
    Open official record

  15. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 996
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

  16. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 868
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

  17. FEMA administrative declaration

    SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 443
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

  18. FEMA administrative declaration

    HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING

    Declaration date
    Incident period
    –
    Official source
    FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2
    Official ID
    FEMA disaster 269
    Record type
    Flood
    Open official record

NOAA representative observed events

County-coded observed-event types and dates from NOAA NCEI Storm Events.

Practical preparedness implications

These actions translate record categories into low-regret planning steps. They are not predictions and do not replace local emergency instructions.

  1. Priority 1

    Prepare for observed high wind events

    High Wind is the most frequently reported NOAA hazard type among 1925 exact county-coded observed events in this profile.

    • Review household alerts, evacuation routes, and insurance coverage for this hazard.
    • Keep a documented communication and reunification plan that works during power or cellular outages.

    Evidence sections: NOAA observed events

  2. Priority 2

    Review declared flood history

    Flood is the most frequent hazard category among 20 unique exact-county FEMA declarations in this profile.

    • Review insurance, documentation, and recovery contacts relevant to this declaration category.
    • Learn which local and state assistance channels operate before any federal declaration is made.

    Evidence sections: FEMA declarations

  3. Priority 3

    Use June as a readiness checkpoint

    NOAA records place 563 observed county events in June, the profile's highest observed monthly count.

    • Before this historically high-count month, refresh supplies, medications, contact lists, and alert settings.
    • Recheck transportation and shelter options for people, pets, and accessibility needs.

    Evidence sections: NOAA observed events

  4. Priority 4

    Plan from both observed and declared history

    NOAA event reports describe observed local frequency, while FEMA declarations identify a narrower administrative record of incidents receiving federal declarations.

    • Do not treat the absence of a FEMA declaration as evidence that a damaging local event cannot occur.
    • After an incident, preserve photos, receipts, policy records, and official notices for local, state, insurance, and possible federal processes.

    Evidence sections: FEMA declarations and NOAA observed events

Methodology and profile limitations

A source-separated county history using exact OpenFEMA county designations and NOAA county-coded observed events.

Counting rules

  • FEMA counts one declaration per unique disasterNumber for exact county designations dated 1964 or later.
  • NOAA counts one unique EVENT_ID only when CZ_TYPE=C and the constructed state-plus-county FIPS matches exactly, from 1996 onward.
  • Statewide-only FEMA rows, NOAA forecast zones, and NOAA marine zones are excluded from county metrics.

Comparison rules

  • Each county is compared only with the median of the same source and metric across every county equivalent in its state.
  • The Iowa baseline contains every compatible county equivalent, including zero-count counties if any.

Limitations

  • This atlas publishes source-separated historical records, not a probability of future loss.
  • Records can be revised by their issuing agencies; regeneration selects the newest official NOAA revision for every year.
  • Statewide-only FEMA declarations are disclosed but excluded from exact county metrics.
  • Observed history is not a forecast or modeled risk score.
  • FEMA declarations and NOAA event reports measure different phenomena and are never merged into one event total.

Sources, coverage, and limitations

Each official dataset retains its own meaning, coverage period, freshness, and limitations.

Profile generated:

FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Current for expected cadence
Coverage period
Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026
Completeness
Complete for stated coverage and inclusion rules
Source updated
Retrieved by HazardNow
Expected update cadence
HazardNow refresh target: about weekly
Official dataset pageOpenFEMA API

Coverage notes

  • OpenFEMA v2 exact county designations from 1964 onward; disasterNumber is the unique declaration key.
  • Statewide-only, tribal, and other non-county designations are excluded from county metrics and medians.
  • Current Census county-equivalent FIPS define state comparison baselines; obsolete historical county codes are not reassigned.
  • County-level designation history is most consistently available from 1964 onward.
  • A declaration can designate multiple counties; each designation is a source record, not a separate physical event.

Limitations

  • Federal declarations are administrative actions and do not enumerate every damaging local incident.
  • Statewide-only and tribal designations are intentionally excluded from exact-county counts.
  • Federal declarations are administrative Stafford Act actions and do not capture every damaging local event.
  • Declaration counts should not be presented as forecasts or direct probabilities of future loss.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information

Current for expected cadence
Coverage period
Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026
Completeness
Partial for stated coverage or inclusion rules
Source updated
Retrieved by HazardNow
Expected update cadence
HazardNow refresh target: about monthly after source publication
Official dataset pageOfficial bulk files

Coverage notes

  • NCEI Storm Events details files for every year from 1996 through the current available year.
  • Only exact county-coded CZ_TYPE=C records are counted; forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded and disclosed.
  • Current Census county-equivalent FIPS define state comparison baselines; obsolete historical county codes are not reassigned.
  • 15 optional damage cells contained a bare K/M/B suffix; those amounts are retained as unknown/null and are never inferred as zero.
  • 1 record had an unrecognized CZ_TYPE and was excluded because it could not be assigned to an exact county geography.
  • The 2026 shard is preliminary; coverage ends at the latest accepted county event anywhere in the selected official corpus.
  • Every state summary and county profile uses this same selected-national-corpus coverage window; a state or county need not have an event on the final date.
  • Comparable all-event statistics begin in 1996; earlier reporting eras cover only a subset of event types.
  • County profiles count only exact county-coded CZ_TYPE=C records; forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded.
  • Finalized Storm Events records typically lag the event month by about 75 to 90 days.

Limitations

  • Storm Events reports are not a complete loss inventory and reporting practices vary over time.
  • Forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded because they cannot be assigned exactly to one county.
  • 15 optional archive damage cells contained only a K/M/B suffix, so their dollar amounts remain unknown/null rather than inferred.
  • 1 archive record with an unrecognized CZ_TYPE was excluded rather than attributed to a county.
  • The current-year file is preliminary through the latest event present in its selected official revision.
  • Storm Events is a report database; reporting practices and included event types change over time.
  • Damage estimates and narratives may be incomplete and should retain their source-level caveats.