Natural hazards · Dow

Dow, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dow comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high 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 Dow?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dow 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 Dow 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 Dow flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Dow 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 Dow

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DowDeclared for Crawford County only

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$35K to the City of Dow for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$1K to the City of Dow for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $50K to the City of Dow for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $677 aid approved

2007

Snow

$1K to the City of Dow 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. Dow 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 Dow’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dow. 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.