Woodbury County, IA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Woodbury County has experienced 18 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Woodbury County's highest-rated hazards are tornado, hail, and drought, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 109 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (72nd 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. Woodbury County has been designated in 18 declarations since 1965, covering 7 disaster types including flood (7), severe storm (5), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2014 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
| 2007 | Snowstorm | Snow |
Showing the 10 most recent of 18 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 | Relatively Low | 87.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.2 | 31 | 0 | $10.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 30.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | 21 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.5 | 5 | 0 | $950K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 95 | 51 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.7 | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84 | 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
Woodbury County ranks in the 72nd percentile (Moderate) 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 | 72nd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 48th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 88th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 68th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 73rd | 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 | 60th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 65th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 23.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 109 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 56 in 2016–20 vs 53 in 2021–25 (-5% — 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 Woodbury County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Woodbury County, Iowa are tornado, hail, and drought. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Woodbury County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Woodbury County has received 18 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is flood (7 declarations).
Has Woodbury County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Woodbury County include Severe Winter Storm (2025), Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Woodbury County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Plymouth County, IA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Ida County, IA has the lowest (Very Low). Woodbury County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Woodbury County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Woodbury 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. Woodbury County's composite score of 83 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 83% of US counties.