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Natural hazards · Van Meter

Van Meter, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Van Meter comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2025. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Van Meter?

39
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Van Meter to be higher than in 39% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding45%Tornadoes23%Drought9%Cold waves7%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Van Meter faces

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

Inland flooding

45% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

23% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 16 years in the area

Drought

9% of expected damage
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 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 Van Meter flood?

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

2paid claims since 2025
$256Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
20252026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Van Meter isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Dallas County.
Disasters that hit Van Meter

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Van MeterDeclared for Dallas County only
2015

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

$49K to the City of Van Meter for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $14K aid approved $14K to the City of Van Meter for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

8 households applied for aid $8K aid approved $9K to the City of Van Meter for repairs
Dallas County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Van Meter

Van Meter and the towns around it

Waukee: Low, mostly inland floodingClive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Des Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingVan Meter: Low, mostly inland flooding Van MeterWaukee
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Van Metermostly inland floodingLow
Waukeemostly inland floodingLow
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. Van Meter 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 Van Meter’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Van Meter. 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.

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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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