Natural hazards · Montezuma

Montezuma, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montezuma comes from drought, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montezuma?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montezuma to be higher than in 27% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought28%Inland flooding24%Tornadoes16%Strong wind12%Cold waves8%Hail6%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Montezuma faces

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

Drought

28% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

24% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 15% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 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 Montezuma flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Poweshiek County.

Disasters that hit Montezuma

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontezumaDeclared for Poweshiek County only

2020

Severe Storms

14 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $18K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $13K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$29K to the City of Montezuma for repairs

Poweshiek County has had 13 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. Montezuma 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 Montezuma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Montezuma. 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.