Natural hazards · Eldon

Eldon, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Eldon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Eldon?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Eldon to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding49%Drought28%Tornadoes12%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Eldon faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

28% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 23 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Eldon flood?

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

9paid claims since 1993

$94Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Wapello County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Eldon

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EldonDeclared for Wapello County only

2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$105K to the City of Eldon for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

7 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $211K to the City of Eldon for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

34 households applied for aid $212K aid approved $30K to the City of Eldon for repairs

2007

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the City of Eldon for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid

Wapello County has had 17 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. Eldon 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 Eldon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Eldon. 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.