Natural hazards · Sheffield

Sheffield, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sheffield comes from drought, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2010. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sheffield?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sheffield to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought37%Inland flooding25%Cold waves17%Tornadoes13%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Sheffield faces

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

Drought

37% of expected damage

Recorded about 22 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce 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 Sheffield flood?

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

2paid claims since 2010

$41Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20102026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Franklin County.

Disasters that hit Sheffield

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SheffieldDeclared for Franklin County only

2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$4K to the City of Sheffield for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

3 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $81K aid approved $133K to the City of Sheffield for repairs

2007

Severe Winter Storms

$5K to the City of Sheffield for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved

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

Sheffield, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Sheffield?

What Sheffield faces

Drought

Inland flooding

Cold waves

Tornadoes

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Sheffield flood?

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms and Flooding

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Winter Storms

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

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