Natural hazards · Peterson

Peterson, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Peterson comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Peterson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Peterson to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding53%Hail15%Tornadoes12%Cold waves7%Drought7%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Peterson 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

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

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Drought

7% of expected damage

Recorded about 24 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Peterson flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Clay County.

Disasters that hit Peterson

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PetersonDeclared for Clay County only

2024

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

8 households applied for aid $6K aid approved $44K to the City of Peterson for repairs

2014

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

$12K to the City of Peterson for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $16K to the City of Peterson for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$4K to the City of Peterson for repairs

Clay County has had 19 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. Peterson 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 Peterson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Peterson. 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.