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Natural hazards · Plainfield

Plainfield, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Plainfield comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1993. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Plainfield?

54
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Plainfield to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding38%Drought32%Cold waves10%Tornadoes8%Hail7%Everything else5%
By hazard

What Plainfield 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
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Drought

32% of expected damage
Recorded about 17 times a year in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Plainfield flood?

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

7paid claims since 1993
$119Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19932026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 4 claims, $94K
  • Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Plainfield isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Bremer County.
Disasters that hit Plainfield

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PlainfieldDeclared for Bremer County only
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

53 households applied for aid $189K aid approved $107K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$6K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $4K aid approved
1999

Severe Storms and Flooding

$5K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$5K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
Bremer County has had 15 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. Plainfield 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 Plainfield’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Plainfield. 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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