Natural hazards · Montrose

Montrose, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Montrose comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2008. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Montrose?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Montrose to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding62%Tornadoes9%Heat waves8%Drought6%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Montrose faces

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

Inland flooding

62% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

9% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 18 years in the area

Heat waves

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Drought

6% of expected damage

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Montrose flood?

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

3paid claims since 2008

$13Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lee County.

Disasters that hit Montrose

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MontroseDeclared for Lee County only

2014

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

$3K to the City of Montrose for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

2 households applied for aid

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$767 to the City of Montrose for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $36K to the City of Montrose for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$2K to the City of Montrose for repairs

2001

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$4K to the City of Montrose for repairs

Lee County has had 20 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. Montrose 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 Montrose’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Montrose. 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.