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Natural hazards · Burlington

Burlington, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Burlington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 170 claims here since 1979. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Burlington?

43
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Burlington to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes15%Heat waves13%Hail10%Strong wind9%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Burlington faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

15% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Heat waves

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Hail

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Burlington flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Burlington, from FEMA’s records.

170paid claims since 1979
$4.5Mpaid to owners
13homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Severe flooding: 3 claims, $51K
  • March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (8) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Burlington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Des Moines County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

54flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Burlington

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Burlington itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Burlington.

Brought FEMA money into BurlingtonDeclared for Des Moines County only
2024

Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes

$31K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2023

Flooding

$73K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$1.1M to the City of Burlington for repairs
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$96K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$101K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$388K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$321K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$158K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$182K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

219 households applied for aid $576K aid approved $1.4M to the City of Burlington for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$79K to the City of Burlington for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $6K aid approved
2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$57K to the City of Burlington for repairs
Des Moines County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Burlington

Burlington and the towns around it

West Burlington: Low, mostly inland floodingCarman: Very high, mostly inland floodingGulfport: Very high, mostly inland floodingGladstone: Very high, mostly inland floodingStronghurst: Very high, mostly inland floodingLomax: Very high, mostly inland floodingBiggsville: Very high, mostly inland floodingOquawka: Very high, mostly inland floodingBurlington: Moderate, mostly inland flooding BurlingtonWest BurlingtonCarmanGulfportGladstone
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Carmanmostly inland floodingVery high
Gulfportmostly inland floodingVery high
Gladstonemostly inland floodingVery high
Burlingtonmostly inland floodingModerate
West Burlingtonmostly inland floodingLow
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Burlington covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Burlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Burlington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Burlington total about $9.6M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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