Farnhamville’s biggest natural hazard is drought
Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Farnhamville comes from drought, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.
What stands out about Farnhamville’s weather risks
Read from FEMA’s records below. The page puts what stands out first.
Does Farnhamville flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Farnhamville. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Farnhamville isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Calhoun County.How exposed is Farnhamville?
FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings here to be higher than in 35% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and hail.
Calmer than 853 of the 1,026 Iowa towns we cover.
Farnhamville is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.
What Farnhamville faces
Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how it compares with the rest of the country.
Drought
Hail
Tornadoes
Inland flooding
Cold waves
Strong wind
2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Farnhamville
Disasters that paid out in Farnhamville itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Farnhamville) and its biggest flood years.
- 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes13 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$4K to the City of Farnhamville for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding7 households applied for aid$7K aid approved
Calhoun County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Old photos of Farnhamville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Farnhamville archive →Get ready for what Farnhamville actually faces
A short kit for its top hazards, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- On a well? Know how deep it is and watch for sputtering.
- Follow the town’s watering limits.
- Fix drips: they add up.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Most disasters here begin in April–June
The month each of Calhoun County’s 16 declared disasters began, since 1953.
What these numbers can and can’t tell you
- An average, not a forecast. FEMA’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 there, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings.
- Money that reached town. Flood claims are matched to Farnhamville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Farnhamville.
- It follows property value. FEMA’s model weighs damage to buildings, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Farnhamville.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. An average of past damage, not a forecast.