SkyGround

Natural hazard risk & disaster history for every US county

All counties › Hazards › Strong Wind

Iowa strong wind risk

99 counties scored 3 rated Very High

Polk County has the highest strong wind risk in Iowa, scoring 99.2 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.

# County NRI score Rating NOAA events
2016–2026
1 Polk County 99.2 Very High 0
2 Johnson County 98.9 Very High 0
3 Linn County 98.4 Very High 0
4 Mitchell County 96.7 Relatively High 0
5 Scott County 96.4 Relatively High 0
6 Pottawattamie County 95.3 Relatively High 0
7 Black Hawk County 94.7 Relatively High 0
8 Clinton County 93.5 Relatively High 0
9 Muscatine County 91.6 Relatively High 0
10 Washington County 90.9 Relatively High 0
11 Marshall County 86 Relatively High 0
12 Tama County 85.8 Relatively High 0
13 Des Moines County 85 Relatively High 0
14 Woodbury County 84.1 Relatively High 0
15 Carroll County 83.7 Relatively Moderate 0
16 Iowa County 81.7 Relatively Moderate 0
17 Lee County 80.2 Relatively Moderate 0
18 Henry County 80.1 Relatively Moderate 0
19 Jasper County 79.8 Relatively Moderate 0
20 Poweshiek County 78.9 Relatively Moderate 0
21 Dubuque County 77.6 Relatively Moderate 0
22 Louisa County 77.3 Relatively Moderate 0
23 Benton County 77.2 Relatively Moderate 0
24 Fayette County 76 Relatively Moderate 0
25 Wapello County 74 Relatively Moderate 0
26 Jones County 73.7 Relatively Moderate 0
27 Cedar County 71.9 Relatively Moderate 0
28 Adair County 71.4 Relatively Moderate 0
29 Jackson County 70.7 Relatively Moderate 0
30 Cerro Gordo County 70.1 Relatively Moderate 0
31 Delaware County 70 Relatively Moderate 0
32 Story County 69.9 Relatively Moderate 0
33 Mahaska County 69.3 Relatively Moderate 0
34 Hardin County 69.2 Relatively Moderate 0
35 Hamilton County 68.8 Relatively Moderate 0
36 Dallas County 67.1 Relatively Moderate 0
37 Keokuk County 66.4 Relatively Moderate 0
38 Crawford County 65.7 Relatively Moderate 0
39 Calhoun County 65.2 Relatively Moderate 0
40 Madison County 64.8 Relatively Moderate 0
41 Davis County 64 Relatively Moderate 0
42 Buena Vista County 62.6 Relatively Moderate 0
43 Cass County 60.9 Relatively Moderate 0
44 Webster County 60.6 Relatively Moderate 0
45 Jefferson County 59.9 Relatively Moderate 0
46 Appanoose County 57.7 Relatively Moderate 0
47 Harrison County 55.9 Relatively Moderate 0
48 Van Buren County 55.6 Relatively Moderate 0
49 Warren County 55 Relatively Moderate 0
50 Audubon County 54.2 Relatively Moderate 0
51 Union County 54.1 Relatively Moderate 0
52 Butler County 53.9 Relatively Moderate 0
53 Cherokee County 52.7 Relatively Moderate 0
54 Chickasaw County 52.4 Relatively Moderate 0
55 Lucas County 51.5 Relatively Low 0
56 Bremer County 50.2 Relatively Low 0
57 Page County 50.1 Relatively Low 0
58 Sioux County 49.1 Relatively Low 0
59 Buchanan County 48.2 Relatively Low 0
60 Howard County 47.6 Relatively Low 0
61 Marion County 47.3 Relatively Low 0
62 Wright County 47 Relatively Low 0
63 Ringgold County 43.5 Relatively Low 0
64 Allamakee County 43.4 Relatively Low 0
65 Plymouth County 42.9 Relatively Low 0
66 Guthrie County 42.8 Relatively Low 0
67 Shelby County 42.2 Relatively Low 0
68 Taylor County 42 Relatively Low 0
69 Winnebago County 42 Relatively Low 0
70 Clayton County 41.7 Relatively Low 0
71 Grundy County 41.6 Relatively Low 0
72 Decatur County 41.3 Relatively Low 0
73 Montgomery County 40.9 Relatively Low 0
74 Wayne County 40.1 Relatively Low 0
75 Greene County 39.2 Relatively Low 0
76 Monona County 39 Relatively Low 0
77 Boone County 37.4 Relatively Low 0
78 Hancock County 37.3 Relatively Low 0
79 Kossuth County 36.9 Relatively Low 0
80 Pocahontas County 35.8 Relatively Low 0
81 Ida County 35.1 Relatively Low 0
82 Clarke County 35 Relatively Low 0
83 Floyd County 34.8 Relatively Low 0
84 Mills County 34.7 Relatively Low 0
85 Dickinson County 34.2 Relatively Low 0
86 Humboldt County 33.8 Relatively Low 0
87 Clay County 32.7 Relatively Low 0
88 Franklin County 32.3 Relatively Low 0
89 O'Brien County 29.6 Relatively Low 0
90 Osceola County 29.2 Relatively Low 0
91 Monroe County 29.1 Relatively Low 0
92 Sac County 29.1 Relatively Low 0
93 Emmet County 28.9 Relatively Low 0
94 Adams County 27.9 Relatively Low 0
95 Worth County 26.4 Relatively Low 0
96 Winneshiek County 26.2 Relatively Low 0
97 Fremont County 26.1 Relatively Low 0
98 Palo Alto County 22.6 Relatively Low 0
99 Lyon County 18.6 Relatively Low 0

Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.

Strong Wind risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in Iowa:

WildfireInland FloodingCoastal FloodingEarthquakeHeat WaveTornadoHurricaneHailWinter WeatherIce StormCold WaveLightningDroughtLandslideAvalancheTsunamiVolcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest strong wind risk county in Iowa?

Polk County, IA has the highest strong wind risk in Iowa, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.2 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in Iowa are rated Very High for strong wind risk?

3 of 99 scored Iowa counties are rated "Very High" for strong wind risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes strong wind risk in Iowa?

Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.