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Natural hazards · Dubuque

Dubuque, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dubuque comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 1999. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Dubuque?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes24%Cold waves16%Hail7%Strong wind6%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Dubuque faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Cold waves

16% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Dubuque flood?

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

22paid claims since 1999
$193Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19992026

Biggest named events

  • Late spring storms: 5 claims, $110K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Dubuque isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Dubuque County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Dubuque

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DubuqueDeclared for Dubuque County only
2024

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

$87K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2023

Flooding

$664K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2017

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

$30K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2011

Severe Storms and Flooding

$835K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

238 households applied for aid $317K aid approved $250K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

93 households applied for aid $172K aid approved $234K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

33 households applied for aid $21K aid approved $327K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2002

Severe Storms and Flooding

$376K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$132K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$513K to the City of Dubuque for repairs
Dubuque County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Dubuque

Dubuque and the towns around it

Asbury: Low, mostly inland floodingDunleith: Low, mostly inland floodingJamestown: Very low, mostly inland floodingSageville: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMenominee: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Dubuque: Low, mostly inland floodingHazel Green: Very low, mostly inland floodingPotosi: Low, mostly inland floodingParis: Very low, mostly inland floodingDubuque: Low, mostly inland flooding DubuqueAsburyDunleithJamestownSageville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sagevillemostly inland floodingModerate
Dubuquemostly inland floodingLow
Dunleithmostly inland floodingLow
Asburymostly inland floodingLow
Jamestownmostly 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. Dubuque covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dubuque’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dubuque. 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 Dubuque total about $23.6M 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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