Natural hazards · Iola

Iola, KS natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Iola comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 66 claims here since 1986.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Iola?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Iola to be higher than in 83% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding69%Tornadoes8%Strong wind5%Everything else18%

By hazard

What Iola faces

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

Inland flooding

69% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Iola flood?

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

66paid claims since 1986

$3.0Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19862026

Biggest named events

Thunderstorms: 49 claims, $2.3M

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Iola isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Allen County.

Disasters that hit Iola

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Allen County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Iola itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into IolaDeclared for Allen County only

Allen County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Iola

Iola and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Iolamostly inland floodingVery high

Bassettmostly inland floodingVery high

Neosho Fallsmostly inland floodingHigh

Humboldtmostly inland floodingHigh

Loganmostly inland floodingHigh

Genevamostly inland floodingModerate

Iolamostly inland floodingModerate

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. Iola covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Iola’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Iola. 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 Iola total about $2.1M 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.