Natural hazards · Hartley

Hartley, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Hartley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2018. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Hartley?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Hartley to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding36%Hail19%Tornadoes16%Cold waves11%Drought11%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Hartley faces

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

Inland flooding

36% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 55% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hail

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Drought

11% of expected damage

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice 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 Hartley flood?

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

3paid claims since 2018

$143Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20182026

Biggest named events

June Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $122K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: O'Brien County.

Disasters that hit Hartley

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HartleyDeclared for O'Brien County only

2024

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

185 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $118K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2018

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

$446K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$4K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm

$21K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

145 households applied for aid $245K aid approved $20K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$8K to the City of Hartley for repairs

2007

Snow

$4K to the City of Hartley for repairs

O'Brien County has had 13 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. Hartley 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 Hartley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Hartley. 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.