Natural hazards · Thornton

Thornton, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thornton comes from drought, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Thornton?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thornton to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and inland flooding.

Drought42%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes14%Cold waves10%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Thornton faces

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

Drought

42% of expected damage

Recorded about 25 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 11 times a year 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 Thornton flood?

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

1paid claims since 2008

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $3K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cerro Gordo County.

Disasters that hit Thornton

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ThorntonDeclared for Cerro Gordo County only

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

38 households applied for aid $39K aid approved $14K to the City of Thornton for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $555 aid approved

Cerro Gordo County has had 13 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. Thornton 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 Thornton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Thornton. 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.

Thornton, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Thornton?

What Thornton faces

Drought

Inland flooding

Tornadoes

Cold waves

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Thornton flood?

Biggest named events

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

Nearby