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Natural hazards · Waterloo

Waterloo, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waterloo comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 233 claims here since 1978. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Waterloo?

31
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waterloo to be higher than in 31% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding51%Tornadoes24%Strong wind10%Cold waves5%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Waterloo faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

24% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Strong wind

10% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places
Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

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 Waterloo flood?

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

233paid claims since 1978
$4.2Mpaid to owners
28homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Storm: 45 claims, $2.3M
  • Midwest Flooding: 9 claims, $32K
  • Severe flooding: 4 claims, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

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

What’s been done with FEMA grants

66flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Waterloo

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaterlooDeclared for Black Hawk County only
2016

Severe Storms and Flooding

$722K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2014

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

$230K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2010

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

427 households applied for aid $564K aid approved $277K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2009

Severe Storm

$185K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

2,242 households applied for aid $4.8M aid approved $3.9M to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$124K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

521 households applied for aid $651K aid approved $98K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
1999

Severe Storms and Flooding

$153K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
1999

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes

$35K to the City of Waterloo for repairs
Black Hawk County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Waterloo

Waterloo and the towns around it

Evansdale: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCedar Falls: Low, mostly inland floodingElk Run Heights: Low, mostly inland floodingHudson: Low, mostly droughtWaterloo: Low, mostly inland flooding WaterlooEvansdaleCedar Falls
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Evansdalemostly inland floodingModerate
Waterloomostly inland floodingLow
Cedar Fallsmostly 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. Waterloo covers 24 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waterloo’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Waterloo. 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 Waterloo total about $17.0M 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.

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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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