Cherokee County, IA Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by hail. 644 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $10.73M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 644
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 43
- 0.8% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 34.1 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 42.7 of 100
Community resilience
Very High
Score 81.8 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $4.27B · Agriculture value exposed: $498M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $11.41M
Risk by hazard
- HailRelatively Moderate$1.53M/yr expected annual loss, about 5.8 events a year
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$929K/yr expected annual loss, about 24 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$91.42K/yr expected annual loss, about 16 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.78M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$588K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.2 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$912K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.7 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$75.26K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- LandslideVery Low$858/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
- Heat waveVery Low$116K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.7 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$90.63K/yr expected annual loss, about 41 events a year
- WildfireVery Low$9,938/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,763 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$10.4K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,469 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 43 of 5,233 (0.8%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 140
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.68M
Flood claims paid per year
- June Midwest Flooding$667K · 14 claims
- March 2019 Midwest Flooding$72.98K · 8 claims
- Iowa Flooding$70K · 1 claim
- Midwest Flooding$65.23K · 14 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 644 events, 0 deaths, $22.62M in damage
- Hail152
- Winter Weather92
- Thunderstorm Wind87
- Drought53
- Flood42
- Winter Storm37
- Blizzard26
- Flash Flood25
- High Wind24
- Excessive Heat21
Events per year
33 tornadoes on record (EF0 6, EF1 4, F0 7, F1 4, F2 4, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Drought10/01/2023
Cherokee
$3.47M damage
What happened
Severe (D2) drought conditions improved to moderate (D1) conditions by mid-month. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Flood03/13/2019
Washta, Cherokee County
$3.39M damage
What happened
Flooding resulted in extensive damage to public infrastructure including numerous county and township roads, culverts, and some bridges.
- Drought07/01/2022
Cherokee
$1.8M damage
What happened
Severe (D2) drought conditions worsened to extreme (D3) drought during the first week of July, which featured temperatures of 1 to 2 degrees above normal and 75 to 90 percent of normal rainfall. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Drought08/01/2022
Cherokee
$1.75M damage
What happened
Extreme (D3) drought conditions remained in place through August, which featured near-normal temperatures, but only 50 to 75 percent of normal precipitation. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Drought06/14/2022
Cherokee
$1.13M damage
What happened
Severe (D2) drought developed mid-month, with temperatures of 2 to 3 degrees above normal and 25 to 50 percent of normal rainfall. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
- Drought09/01/2022
Cherokee
$1.12M damage
What happened
Precipitation at Cherokee was less than 25 percent of normal, with temperatures around 2 degrees above normal during September. Extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted through the month. Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Excessive Heat07/20/2026
Cherokee
- Excessive Heat06/29/2026
Cherokee
- Hail0.88" hail05/18/2026
Cherokee Muni Arpt, Cherokee County
- Hail0.88" hail05/18/2026
Washta, Cherokee County
- Hail1" hail05/18/2026
Washta, Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind05/18/2026
Meriden, Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind05/18/2026
Cherokee Muni Arpt, Cherokee County
- Thunderstorm Wind54 kt wind05/18/2026
Cleghorn, Cherokee County
Drinking water
11 community water systems serve about 13,081 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Cherokee Water Supply - Plant 1Serves 5,199 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Cherokee Rws - Cherokee SubsystemServes 3,315 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Cherokee Rws- Mill Creek SubsystemServes 1,451 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Marcus Water SupplyServes 1,079 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Aurelia Water SupplyServes 968 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Quimby Water SupplyServes 249 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Cleghorn Water SupplyServes 247 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Washta Water SupplyServes 209 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Cherokee, 4.5 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 84°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 7°F in Jan. About 31.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 37.8 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 7°F | 0.65 in | 7.5 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 11°F | 0.78 in | 8.4 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 23°F | 1.66 in | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 34°F | 3.17 in | 2.7 in |
| May | 71°F | 47°F | 4.28 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 58°F | 5.20 in | - |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.40 in | - |
| Aug | 82°F | 59°F | 4.12 in | - |
| Sep | 75°F | 50°F | 3.29 in | - |
| Oct | 62°F | 36°F | 2.25 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 24°F | 1.46 in | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 13°F | 0.93 in | 9.4 in |
| Year | 47°F average | 31.2 in | 37.8 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Cherokee County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Little Sioux Corn Processors LLC45,611 lbs released, Marcus
Total: 45,611 lbs in 2024, 45,611 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Cherokee County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Cherokee County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $10.73M a year. The highest-rated hazards are hail (relatively moderate), drought (relatively moderate), winter weather (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Cherokee County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 644 storm events affecting Cherokee County, most often hail (152), winter weather (92), thunderstorm wind (87).
- How many tornadoes have hit Cherokee County?
- 33 tornadoes have been recorded in Cherokee County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- How many homes in Cherokee County have flood insurance?
- 43 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Cherokee County, covering about 0.8% of homes. The program has paid $1.68M on 140 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Cherokee County?
- At Cherokee, average highs reach 84°F in Jul and lows fall to 7°F in Jan, with 31.2 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.