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Natural hazards · Urbandale

Urbandale, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Urbandale comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 15 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Urbandale?

29
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Urbandale to be higher than in 29% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding47%Tornadoes23%Strong wind8%Heat waves7%Cold waves7%Hail5%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Urbandale faces

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

Inland flooding

47% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Strong wind

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

7% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Urbandale flood?

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

15paid claims since 1978
$678Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19782026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Urbandale is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
1storm safe rooms built
Disasters that hit Urbandale

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UrbandaleDeclared for Polk County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $19K aid approved $86K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2024

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid $2K aid approved
2020

Severe Storms

73 households applied for aid $223K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2018

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

$352K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

132 households applied for aid $164K aid approved $310K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

66 households applied for aid $59K aid approved $106K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$67K to the City of Urbandale for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
Polk County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Urbandale

Urbandale and the towns around it

Grimes: Very low, mostly inland floodingJohnston: Very low, mostly inland floodingDes Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingClive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Des Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingPleasant Hill: Very low, mostly inland floodingNorwalk: Very low, mostly inland floodingWindsor Heights: High, mostly inland floodingWaukee: Low, mostly inland floodingUrbandale: Low, mostly inland flooding UrbandaleGrimesJohnstonDes MoinesClive
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Clivemostly inland floodingModerate
Urbandalemostly inland floodingLow
Des Moinesmostly inland floodingLow
Johnstonmostly inland floodingVery low
Grimesmostly inland floodingVery low
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. Urbandale covers 8 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Urbandale’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Urbandale. 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 Urbandale total about $9.8M 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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