Natural hazards · Le Claire

Le Claire, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Le Claire comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Le Claire?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Le Claire to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding65%Tornadoes8%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Hail6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Le Claire faces

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

Inland flooding

65% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Le Claire flood?

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

48paid claims since 1979

$618Kpaid to owners

8homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 18 claims, $255K
Midwest Flooding: 11 claims, $136K
March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Scott County.

Disasters that hit Le Claire

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Le ClaireDeclared for Scott County only

2024

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

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

2020

Severe Storms

18 households applied for aid $184 aid approved

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $22K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $14K aid approved

Scott County has had 17 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. Le Claire covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Le Claire’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Le Claire. 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 Le Claire total about $1.5M 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.