Natural hazards · Central

Central, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Central comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 1990. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Central?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Central to be higher than in 70% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding56%Drought13%Tornadoes12%Hail6%Strong wind6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Central faces

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

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Central flood?

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

19paid claims since 1990

$152Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19902026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $12K
Storm: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Central isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Linn County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Central

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CentralDeclared for Linn County only

2020

Severe Storms

21 households applied for aid $39K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

57 households applied for aid $140K aid approved $42K to the City of Central for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

12 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $7K to the City of Central for repairs

1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$53K to the City of Central for repairs

Linn County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Central is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Central’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Central. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.

Central, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Central?

What Central faces

Inland flooding

Drought

Tornadoes

Hail

Strong wind

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Central flood?

Biggest named events

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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