Story County, IA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Story County has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Story County's highest-rated hazards are drought, tornado, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 31% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (24th 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. Story County has been designated in 21 declarations since 1969, covering 4 disaster types including severe storm (12), flood (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 21 total declarations since 1969.
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 | 30.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.1 | 40 | 0 | $900K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.3 | 10 | 0 | $3.3M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 14.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | 126 | 0 | $162K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 64.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 35.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 56.5 | 4 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 96.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 43.6 | 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
Story County ranks in the 24th 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 | 24th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 45th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 0th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 48th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 70th | 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 | 15th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 15th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 26.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 182 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 108 in 2016–20 vs 74 in 2021–25 (-31% — frequency decreasing).
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 Story County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Story County, Iowa are drought, tornado, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Story County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Story County has received 21 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (12 declarations).
Has Story County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Story County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Story County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Polk County, IA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Boone County, IA has the lowest (Very Low). Story County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Story County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Story 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. Story County's composite score of 69 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 69% of US counties.