Natural hazards · Waucoma

Waucoma, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waucoma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2008. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Waucoma?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waucoma to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and drought.

Inland flooding48%Drought16%Tornadoes14%Hail7%Cold waves7%Strong wind6%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Waucoma faces

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

Inland flooding

48% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

16% of expected damage

Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Hail

7% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Strong wind

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

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 Waucoma flood?

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

5paid claims since 2008

$64Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

20082026

Biggest named events

Storm: 1 claim, $17K

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. Waucoma isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Fayette County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Waucoma

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaucomaDeclared for Fayette County only

2016

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$17K to the City of Waucoma for repairs

2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

15 households applied for aid $34K aid approved $20K to the City of Waucoma for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

7 households applied for aid $7K aid approved

Fayette County has had 20 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. Waucoma 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 Waucoma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Waucoma. 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.

Waucoma, IA natural hazards

How exposed is Waucoma?

What Waucoma faces

Inland flooding

Drought

Tornadoes

Hail

Cold waves

Strong wind

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Waucoma flood?

Biggest named events

Homes that flooded again and again

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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