Natural hazards · Primghar

Primghar, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Primghar comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Primghar?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Primghar to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding35%Tornadoes20%Hail13%Cold waves13%Drought9%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Primghar faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage

Recorded about 23 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 Primghar flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: O'Brien County.

Disasters that hit Primghar

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PrimgharDeclared for O'Brien County only

2024

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

44 households applied for aid $201K aid approved $688K to the City of Primghar for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm

$13K to the City of Primghar for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

36 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $37K to the City of Primghar for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$3K to the City of Primghar for repairs

2007

Snow

$4K to the City of Primghar for repairs

O'Brien 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. Primghar 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 Primghar’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Primghar. 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.