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Natural hazards · Dexter

Dexter, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dexter comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dexter?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dexter to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding42%Tornadoes20%Drought14%Cold waves8%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Dexter faces

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

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Drought

14% of expected damage
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year 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 Dexter flood?

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

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

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DexterDeclared for Dallas County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
2010

Severe Winter Storm

$2K to the City of Dexter for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $85K aid approved $3K to the City of Dexter for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $696 aid approved
Dallas County has had 18 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. Dexter 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 Dexter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dexter. 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.

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