Natural hazards · Milford

Milford, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Milford comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Milford?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Milford to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding53%Tornadoes19%Cold waves11%Hail5%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Milford 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

Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Cold waves

11% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Milford flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Milford.

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Dickinson County.

Disasters that hit Milford

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MilfordDeclared for Dickinson County only

2024

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

79 households applied for aid $294K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$31K to the City of Milford for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$5K to the City of Milford for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$15K to the City of Milford for repairs

2007

Snow

$11K to the City of Milford for repairs

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

Around Milford

Milford and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

West Okobojimostly inland floodingHigh

Arnolds Parkmostly inland floodingHigh

Milfordmostly inland floodingModerate

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