Natural hazards · Donnellson

Donnellson, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Donnellson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Donnellson?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Donnellson to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding47%Drought13%Tornadoes11%Heat waves9%Strong wind7%Hail6%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Donnellson faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

13% of expected damage

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Donnellson flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lee County.

Disasters that hit Donnellson

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DonnellsonDeclared for Lee County only

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $5K aid approved

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$5K to the City of Donnellson for repairs

Lee County has had 20 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. Donnellson 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 Donnellson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Donnellson. 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.