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Natural hazards · Rock Valley

Rock Valley, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Rock Valley comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 2014. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Rock Valley?

63
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Rock Valley to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes19%Hail17%Cold waves7%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Rock Valley faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Hail

17% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places
Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Rock Valley flood?

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

12paid claims since 2014
$1.4Mpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20142026

Biggest named events

  • June Midwest Flooding: 8 claims, $1.1M
  • Iowa Flooding: 1 claim, $276K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

139flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Rock Valley

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Rock ValleyDeclared for Sioux County only
2024

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

656 households applied for aid $15.0M aid approved $22.9M to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$119K to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
2018

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

$479K to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
2014

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

$723K to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
2013

Severe Winter Storm

$46K to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

8 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$15K to the City of Rock Valley for repairs
Sioux 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. Rock Valley 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 Rock Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Rock Valley. 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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