Natural hazards · Harvey

Harvey, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Harvey comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2008. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Harvey?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Harvey to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding53%Drought25%Tornadoes10%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Harvey faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Drought

25% of expected damage

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 11 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Harvey flood?

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

2paid claims since 2008

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Marion County.

Disasters that hit Harvey

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into HarveyDeclared for Marion County only

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

13 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $17K to the City of Harvey for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $1K aid approved $16K to the City of Harvey for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$4K to the City of Harvey for repairs

Marion County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Harvey 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 Harvey’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Harvey. 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.