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Natural hazards · Waukee

Waukee, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Waukee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2015. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Waukee?

33
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Waukee to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding41%Tornadoes30%Heat waves8%Cold waves7%Hail6%Everything else9%
By hazard

What Waukee faces

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 36% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

30% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Heat waves

8% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 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

Hail

6% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Waukee flood?

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

1paid claims since 2015
$51Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
20152026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Waukee 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 Waukee

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WaukeeDeclared for Dallas County only
2020

Severe Storms

$66K to the City of Waukee for repairs
2015

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

$129K to the City of Waukee for repairs
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $7K aid approved
2004

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $4K aid approved
Dallas County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Waukee

Waukee and the towns around it

Clive: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Des Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingVan Meter: Low, mostly inland floodingWindsor Heights: High, mostly inland floodingUrbandale: Low, mostly inland floodingDes Moines: Low, mostly inland floodingCumming: Low, mostly inland floodingNorwalk: Very low, mostly inland floodingWaukee: Low, mostly inland flooding WaukeeCliveWest Des MoinesVan Meter
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Clivemostly inland floodingModerate
Van Metermostly inland floodingLow
Waukeemostly inland floodingLow
West Des Moinesmostly 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. Waukee covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Waukee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Waukee. 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 Waukee total about $6.2M 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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