Natural hazards · Earlham

Earlham, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Earlham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1990. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Earlham?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Earlham to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding42%Drought19%Tornadoes14%Strong wind8%Cold waves7%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Earlham 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 41% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

19% of expected damage

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Earlham flood?

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

2paid claims since 1990

$6Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19902026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $5K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Madison County.

Disasters that hit Earlham

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EarlhamDeclared for Madison County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

13 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $4K to the City of Earlham for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storm

$2K to the City of Earlham for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

10 households applied for aid $9K aid approved

Madison County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Earlham 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 Earlham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Earlham. 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.