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State disaster-history atlas

Iowa disaster history

Compare federal administrative declarations and NOAA county-coded observed-event reports across 99 Iowa county equivalents. The source-specific distributions and medians below use the statewide official-source datasets, with 1 detailed county profile available to explore.

Data updated Aug 21, 2026

Counts are historical context, not risk scores

FEMA and NOAA records answer different questions, so they are never summed or ranked as danger. These pages do not predict future events or describe current conditions. For current information, use the live dashboard and follow official local instructions.

State baselines by official source

Each median is calculated across every county equivalent using the same source, unit, and coverage period as its linked county profile. Category totals describe records, not severity or losses.

Administrative records

FEMA declaration distribution

OpenFEMA county-designation records show where federal disaster declarations included a county. A single declaration can designate many counties, and declaration decisions do not inventory every physical event.

County median
20
County sample size
99
Statewide county records
1,910
Statewide category distribution
CategoryRecordsShare of this source
Severe storm74238.8%
Flood72037.7%
Biological19810.4%
Winter storm1216.3%
Hurricane995.2%
Tornado271.4%
Drought30.2%
Coverage
Jan 1, 1964 – Aug 21, 2026
Source updated
Aug 20, 2026
Retrieved by HazardNow
Aug 21, 2026
Completeness for stated rules
complete

Observed-event reports

NOAA observed-event distribution

NOAA Storm Events totals include distinct county-coded records in the comparable all-event era beginning in 1996. Forecast-zone and marine-zone records are excluded from county totals.

County median
351
County sample size
99
Statewide county records
40,122
Statewide category distribution
CategoryRecordsShare of this source
High wind13,85934.5%
Hail13,70534.2%
Flood5,92514.8%
Severe storm3,5548.9%
Tornado2,7056.7%
Lightning3660.9%
Winter storm60%
Other20%
Coverage
Jan 1, 1996 – May 31, 2026
Source updated
Aug 19, 2026
Retrieved by HazardNow
Aug 21, 2026
Completeness for stated rules
partial

County profile previews

Preview county record totals and seasonal context here, or use the full directory above. Every profile includes monthly NOAA seasonality, representative records, same-source comparisons, preparedness implications, print and sharing tools, and source disclosures.

County FIPS 19153

Polk County

Unique FEMA declarations
20
NOAA county-event records
1,925

NOAA’s largest monthly record count for this profile is 563 in June. That reporting pattern is historical context, not a seasonal forecast.

Explore Polk County disaster history

How to read this state atlas

Compare like with like

Compare FEMA declarations only with FEMA declarations, and NOAA county-event records only with NOAA county-event records. Coverage periods must match.

Interpret the median carefully

A county above or below the state median has a different historical record count. That does not establish greater or lower future risk.

Expect reporting limitations

Administrative policy and observation practices change. NOAA finalized records also lag recent event months, and zone-coded events are excluded from county totals.

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