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Natural hazards · West Branch

West Branch, IA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in West Branch comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1982. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is West Branch?

66
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in West Branch to be higher than in 66% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding49%Tornadoes13%Strong wind12%Drought10%Hail6%Everything else10%
By hazard

What West Branch faces

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

Inland flooding

49% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area

Strong wind

12% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage
Recorded about 14 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 West Branch flood?

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

18paid claims since 1982
$435Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19822026

Biggest named events

  • Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $8K

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. West Branch isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Cedar County.
Disasters that hit West Branch

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into West BranchDeclared for Cedar County only
2024

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid
2020

Severe Storms

32 households applied for aid $1K aid approved
2008

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $44K aid approved
2007

Severe Winter Storms

$46K to the City of West Branch for repairs
Cedar County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
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. West Branch 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 West Branch’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of West Branch. 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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