Natural hazards · Fertile

Fertile, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fertile comes from drought, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fertile?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fertile to be higher than in 51% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought37%Inland flooding27%Cold waves15%Tornadoes12%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Fertile faces

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

Drought

37% of expected damage

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Fertile flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Fertile.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Worth County.

Disasters that hit Fertile

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FertileDeclared for Worth County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $13K aid approved $47K to the City of Fertile for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

21 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $33K to the City of Fertile for repairs

Worth County has had 14 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. Fertile 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 Fertile’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fertile. 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.

Fertile, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Fertile?

What Fertile faces

Drought

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Tornadoes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Fertile flood?

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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