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Natural hazards · Lawler

Lawler, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lawler comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2016. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Lawler?

66
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lawler to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding50%Tornadoes14%Drought14%Hail8%Cold waves6%Strong wind5%Everything else2%
By hazard

What Lawler faces

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

Inland flooding

50% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Drought

14% of expected damage
Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Lawler flood?

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

2paid claims since 2016
$9Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20162026

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

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LawlerDeclared for Chickasaw County only
2017

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

$8K to the City of Lawler for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$12K to the City of Lawler for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $13K to the City of Lawler for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $2K to the City of Lawler for repairs
1999

Severe Storms and Flooding

$6K to the City of Lawler for repairs
Chickasaw County has had 17 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. Lawler 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 Lawler’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lawler. 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.

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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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