Monroe County, IA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Monroe County has experienced 16 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Monroe County's highest-rated hazards are drought, landslide, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 27 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (12th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Monroe County has been designated in 16 declarations since 1965, covering 5 disaster types including flood (7), severe storm (5), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 2008 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 16 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 | 40 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 9.1 | 8 | 0 | $230K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 14.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 42.4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 39.9 | 1 | 0 | $4K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 7.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 30.3 | 16 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 29.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 9.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 19.5 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 15.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 69.9 | 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
Monroe County ranks in the 12th percentile (Very low) 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 | 12th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 9th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 10th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 7th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 50th | 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 | 65th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 62nd | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 63.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 27 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 14 in 2016–20 vs 13 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 Monroe County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Monroe County, Iowa are drought, landslide, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Monroe County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Monroe County has received 16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (7 declarations).
Has Monroe County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Monroe County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Monroe County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Wapello County, IA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Mahaska County, IA has the lowest (Very Low). Monroe County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Monroe County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Monroe 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. Monroe County's composite score of 10 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 10% of US counties.