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Natural hazards · Des Moines

Des Moines, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Des Moines comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 707 claims here since 1978. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Des Moines?

21
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Des Moines to be higher than in 21% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes24%Heat waves9%Strong wind9%Cold waves8%Hail6%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Des Moines faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Des Moines flood?

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

707paid claims since 1978
$26.1Mpaid to owners
33homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 166 claims, $5.6M
  • Storm: 34 claims, $1.1M
  • March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $209K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (5) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Des Moines is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

231flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
5homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Des Moines

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Des MoinesDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

237 households applied for aid $335K aid approved $658K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2024

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

68 households applied for aid $126K aid approved
2020

Severe Storms

1,257 households applied for aid $528K aid approved $3.8M to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $629K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2018

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

$787K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3,021 households applied for aid $7.0M aid approved $1.7M to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3,566 households applied for aid $5.2M aid approved $4.9M to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$252K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$9K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

118 households applied for aid $177K aid approved $249K to the City of Des Moines for repairs
Polk County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Des Moines

Des Moines and the towns around it

West Des Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingPleasant Hill: Very low, mostly inland floodingUrbandale: Low, mostly inland floodingNorwalk: Very low, mostly inland floodingWindsor Heights: High, mostly inland floodingCumming: Low, mostly inland floodingClive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWaukee: Low, mostly inland floodingAltoona: Low, mostly inland floodingGrimes: Very low, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Very low, mostly inland floodingDes Moines: Low, mostly inland flooding Des MoinesWest Des MoinesPleasant HillUrbandaleNorwalkWindsor Heights
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Windsor Heightsmostly inland floodingHigh
West Des Moinesmostly inland floodingLow
Urbandalemostly inland floodingLow
Des Moinesmostly inland floodingLow
Pleasant Hillmostly inland floodingVery low
Norwalkmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Des Moines covers 57 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Des Moines’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Des Moines. 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 Des Moines total about $50.4M 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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