Natural hazards · Charter Oak

Charter Oak, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Charter Oak comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Charter Oak?

74
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Charter Oak to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding35%Drought34%Tornadoes13%Cold waves7%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Charter Oak faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

34% of expected damage
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Charter Oak flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Charter Oak.

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

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Charter OakDeclared for Crawford County only
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$2K to the City of Charter Oak for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $30K to the City of Charter Oak for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $2K to the City of Charter Oak for repairs
2007

Snow

$2K to the City of Charter Oak for repairs
Crawford County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
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. Charter Oak 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 Charter Oak’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Charter Oak. 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.

We left the porch light on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Charter Oak, IAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Charter Oak is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01