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Natural hazards · Spencer

Spencer, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Spencer comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 59 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Spencer?

91
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Spencer to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding77%Tornadoes12%Cold waves5%Everything else6%
By hazard

What Spencer faces

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

Inland flooding

77% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 10 times a year in the area

Lower here

HailIce 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 Spencer flood?

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

59paid claims since 1979
$5.4Mpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026

Biggest named events

  • June Midwest Flooding: 49 claims, $4.8M
  • Iowa Flooding: 2 claims, $545K
  • Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $6K
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Spencer isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clay County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

47flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Spencer

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SpencerDeclared for Clay County only
2024

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

2,332 households applied for aid $26.7M aid approved $8.2M to the City of Spencer for repairs
2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$70K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2018

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

$55K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2014

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

$52K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$2K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$39K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2007

Snow

$28K to the City of Spencer for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

17 households applied for aid $783 aid approved
Clay County has had 19 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. Spencer covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Spencer’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Spencer. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Spencer total about $8.5M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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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