Natural hazards · Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Mount Vernon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1993. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Mount Vernon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Mount Vernon to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding38%Tornadoes22%Strong wind12%Cold waves10%Hail9%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Mount Vernon faces

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 85 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Hail

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 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 Mount Vernon flood?

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

1paid claims since 1993

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19932026

Biggest named events

Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $4K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Linn County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Mount Vernon

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Mount VernonDeclared for Linn County only

2020

Severe Storms

95 households applied for aid $14K aid approved $505K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2014

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

$46K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

79 households applied for aid $506K aid approved $11K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$47K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $3K to the City of Mount Vernon for repairs

Linn County has had 18 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. Mount Vernon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Mount Vernon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Mount Vernon. 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 Mount Vernon total about $1.6M 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.

Mount Vernon, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Mount Vernon?

What Mount Vernon faces

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Strong wind

Cold waves

Hail

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Mount Vernon flood?

Biggest named events

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms

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

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Winter Storms

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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