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Natural hazards · Johnston

Johnston, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Johnston comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1993. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Johnston?

15
Very low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Johnston to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding37%Tornadoes26%Heat waves9%Strong wind9%Cold waves8%Hail6%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Johnston faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

26% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Johnston flood?

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

15paid claims since 1993
$930Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19932026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 4 claims, $344K
  • Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $3K

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. Johnston isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Polk County.
Disasters that hit Johnston

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into JohnstonDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $18K aid approved $228K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2024

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

4 households applied for aid
2020

Severe Storms

43 households applied for aid $65K aid approved $145K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2018

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

$208K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

60 households applied for aid $110K aid approved $332K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

19 households applied for aid $19K aid approved $178K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$37K to the City of Johnston for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $30K to the City of Johnston for repairs
Polk County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Johnston

Johnston and the towns around it

Urbandale: Low, mostly inland floodingGrimes: Very low, mostly inland floodingDes Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingClive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Very low, mostly inland flooding JohnstonUrbandaleGrimes
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Urbandalemostly inland floodingLow
Johnstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Grimesmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Johnston covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Johnston’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Johnston. 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 Johnston total about $3.2M 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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