Natural hazards · Storm Lake

Storm Lake, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Storm Lake comes from tornadoes, and overall the risk is very 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 Storm Lake?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Storm Lake to be higher than in 17% of U.S. communities, mostly from tornadoes and inland flooding.

Tornadoes38%Inland flooding23%Cold waves17%Hail8%Strong wind7%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Storm Lake faces

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

Tornadoes

38% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 61 years in the area

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Storm Lake flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Buena Vista County.

Disasters that hit Storm Lake

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Storm LakeDeclared for Buena Vista County only

2024

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

9 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2019

Severe Storms and Flooding

$38K to the City of Storm Lake for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

$32K to the City of Storm Lake for repairs

2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$41K to the City of Storm Lake for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm

$41K to the City of Storm Lake for repairs

Buena Vista County has had 20 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. Storm Lake covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Storm Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Storm Lake. 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 Storm Lake total about $2.0M 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.