Natural hazards · Harlan

Harlan, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harlan comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Harlan?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harlan to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes37%Inland flooding22%Cold waves19%Hail7%Strong wind6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Harlan faces

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

Tornadoes

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 35 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Cold waves

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Harlan flood?

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

5paid claims since 1978

$94Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 3 claims, $76K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shelby County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Harlan

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarlanDeclared for Shelby County only

2024

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

36 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

37 households applied for aid $45K aid approved $53K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2014

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

$4K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

24 households applied for aid $57K aid approved

2010

Severe Winter Storm

$25K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$1K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

22 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $4K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2007

Snow

$20K to the City of Harlan for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

14 households applied for aid $16K aid approved $9K to the City of Harlan for repairs

Shelby County has had 18 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. Harlan 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 Harlan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Harlan. 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.

Harlan, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Harlan?

What Harlan faces

Tornadoes

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Hail

Strong wind

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Harlan flood?

Biggest named events

What’s been done with FEMA grants

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

Severe Storms and Flooding

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

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

Severe Winter Storm

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

Snow

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

Nearby