Crawford County, IA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Crawford County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Crawford County's highest-rated hazards are drought, tornado, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 29 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (76th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Crawford County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1965, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (9), flood (8), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Tornado | Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 46.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.1 | 3 | 0 | $200K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 9.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 30.7 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.4 | 5 | 0 | $80K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.8 | 19 | 0 | $205K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 48.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.4 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 26.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Crawford County ranks in the 76th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 76th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 52nd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 98th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 74th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 52nd | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 29th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 30th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 38.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 29 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 15 in 2016–20 vs 14 in 2021–25 (-7% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Crawford County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Crawford County, Iowa are drought, tornado, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Crawford County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Crawford County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (9 declarations).
Has Crawford County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Crawford County include Severe Winter Storm (2025), Severe Storms And Tornadoes (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Crawford County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Carroll County, IA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Ida County, IA has the lowest (Very Low). Crawford County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Crawford County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Crawford County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Crawford County's composite score of 61 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 61% of US counties.