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Natural hazards · Fort Madison

Fort Madison, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fort Madison comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 50 claims here since 1979. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Fort Madison?

76
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fort Madison to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes11%Heat waves8%Strong wind5%Everything else11%
By hazard

What Fort Madison faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

11% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 97 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Fort Madison flood?

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

50paid claims since 1979
$2.0Mpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $71K
  • Severe flooding: 2 claims, $33K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Fort Madison isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Lee County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Fort Madison

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Fort MadisonDeclared for Lee County only
2023

Flooding

$136K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$2.3M to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2015

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

$60K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2014

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

$70K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$604K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

31 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $17K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$260K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

65 households applied for aid $135K aid approved $489K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$49K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$70K to the City of Fort Madison for repairs
Lee County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Fort Madison

Fort Madison and the towns around it

Appanoose: High, mostly inland floodingNauvoo: High, mostly inland floodingSonora: High, mostly inland floodingPontoosuc: Very high, mostly inland floodingNauvoo: High, mostly inland floodingFort Madison: High, mostly inland flooding Fort MadisonAppanooseNauvoo
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Appanoosemostly inland floodingHigh
Nauvoomostly inland floodingHigh
Fort Madisonmostly inland floodingHigh
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. Fort Madison covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fort Madison’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fort Madison. 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 Fort Madison total about $5.6M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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