Natural hazards · Emmetsburg

Emmetsburg, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Emmetsburg comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2024. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Emmetsburg?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Emmetsburg to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves37%Inland flooding21%Tornadoes20%Lightning9%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Emmetsburg faces

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

Cold waves

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 21% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 69 years in the area

Lightning

9% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDrought

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 Emmetsburg flood?

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

1paid claims since 2024

$30Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20242026

Biggest named events

June Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $30K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Palo Alto County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Emmetsburg

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into EmmetsburgDeclared for Palo Alto County only

2024

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

44 households applied for aid $209K aid approved $85K to the City of Emmetsburg for repairs

2018

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

$50K to the City of Emmetsburg for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$42K to the City of Emmetsburg for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$8K to the City of Emmetsburg for repairs

2007

Snow

$8K to the City of Emmetsburg for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Palo Alto 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. Emmetsburg covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Emmetsburg’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Emmetsburg. 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 Emmetsburg total about $2.3M 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.