Natural hazards · Coulter

Coulter, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Coulter comes from drought, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Coulter?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Coulter to be higher than in 40% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought52%Inland flooding18%Cold waves12%Tornadoes11%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Coulter faces

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

Drought

52% of expected damage

Recorded about 23 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Coulter flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Coulter

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CoulterDeclared for Franklin County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$97K to the City of Coulter for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

11 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $8K to the City of Coulter for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $30K to the City of Coulter for repairs

Franklin County has had 19 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. Coulter covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Coulter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Coulter. 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 Coulter total about $4.5M 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.