Natural hazards · Sanborn

Sanborn, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sanborn 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 Sanborn?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sanborn 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 Sanborn 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 Sanborn flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Sanborn 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 Sanborn

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SanbornDeclared for O'Brien County only

2024

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

93 households applied for aid $473K aid approved $332K to the City of Sanborn for repairs

2013

Severe Winter Storm

$42K to the City of Sanborn for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

30 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $3K to the City of Sanborn for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$6K to the City of Sanborn for repairs

2007

Snow

$6K to the City of Sanborn 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. Sanborn 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 Sanborn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sanborn. 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.