Drought Risk in Iowa
All Iowa counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 99 of 99 Iowa counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Davis County carries the state's highest drought score at 98.7, with $5M in expected annual drought losses.
45 Iowa counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $223M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davis County | High | 14.41 / yr | $5M | |
| 2 | Crawford County | High | 9.58 / yr | $6M | |
| 3 | Pocahontas County | High | 15.67 / yr | $5M | |
| 4 | Marshall County | High | 7.08 / yr | $4M | |
| 5 | Wright County | High | 20.57 / yr | $4M | |
| 6 | Audubon County | High | 8.34 / yr | $4M | |
| 7 | Cerro Gordo County | High | 23.84 / yr | $4M | |
| 8 | Cass County | High | 8.64 / yr | $3M | |
| 9 | Taylor County | High | 8.30 / yr | $3M | |
| 10 | Tama County | High | 17.00 / yr | $3M | |
| 11 | Wapello County | High | 13.76 / yr | $4M | |
| 12 | Calhoun County | High | 16.87 / yr | $4M | |
| 13 | Greene County | High | 15.39 / yr | $4M | |
| 14 | Emmet County | High | 9.83 / yr | $4M | |
| 15 | Black Hawk County | High | 16.18 / yr | $4M | |
| 16 | Story County | High | 6.44 / yr | $4M | |
| 17 | Hardin County | High | 9.61 / yr | $3M | |
| 18 | Hamilton County | High | 11.19 / yr | $4M | |
| 19 | Appanoose County | High | 14.14 / yr | $3M | |
| 20 | Winnebago County | High | 13.64 / yr | $3M | |
| 21 | Webster County | High | 14.84 / yr | $3M | |
| 22 | Jasper County | High | 5.15 / yr | $3M | |
| 23 | Franklin County | High | 22.52 / yr | $4M | |
| 24 | Adams County | High | 6.15 / yr | $3M | |
| 25 | Union County | High | 6.28 / yr | $2M | |
| 26 | Poweshiek County | High | 8.22 / yr | $3M | |
| 27 | Hancock County | High | 18.23 / yr | $3M | |
| 28 | Humboldt County | High | 16.62 / yr | $3M | |
| 29 | Madison County | High | 7.68 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Boone County | High | 9.75 / yr | $5M | |
| 31 | Guthrie County | High | 10.23 / yr | $4M | |
| 32 | Polk County | High | 6.46 / yr | $3M | |
| 33 | Wayne County | High | 14.15 / yr | $2M | |
| 34 | Carroll County | High | 12.31 / yr | $3M | |
| 35 | Adair County | High | 9.01 / yr | $2M | |
| 36 | Lucas County | High | 12.16 / yr | $2M | |
| 37 | Decatur County | High | 12.39 / yr | $2M | |
| 38 | Floyd County | High | 22.87 / yr | $2M | |
| 39 | Kossuth County | High | 15.19 / yr | $3M | |
| 40 | Ringgold County | High | 8.59 / yr | $3M | |
| 41 | Dallas County | High | 7.79 / yr | $4M | |
| 42 | Clarke County | High | 10.34 / yr | $3M | |
| 43 | Clinton County | High | 11.37 / yr | $2M | |
| 44 | Sac County | High | 15.19 / yr | $3M | |
| 45 | Warren County | High | 6.15 / yr | $3M | |
| 46 | Woodbury County | Medium | 34.75 / yr | $2M | |
| 47 | Plymouth County | Medium | 27.77 / yr | $2M | |
| 48 | Mitchell County | Medium | 21.75 / yr | $2M | |
| 49 | Monroe County | Medium | 12.10 / yr | $2M | |
| 50 | Pottawattamie County | Medium | 9.99 / yr | $2M | |
| 51 | Monona County | Medium | 26.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 52 | Worth County | Medium | 22.31 / yr | $2M | |
| 53 | Grundy County | Medium | 13.39 / yr | $3M | |
| 54 | Marion County | Medium | 6.80 / yr | $2M | |
| 55 | Butler County | Medium | 18.43 / yr | $2M | |
| 56 | Linn County | Medium | 12.99 / yr | $2M | |
| 57 | Chickasaw County | Medium | 15.96 / yr | $1M | |
| 58 | Harrison County | Medium | 19.03 / yr | $1M | |
| 59 | Fayette County | Medium | 13.87 / yr | $1M | |
| 60 | Bremer County | Medium | 15.56 / yr | $2M | |
| 61 | Page County | Medium | 9.39 / yr | $1M | |
| 62 | Des Moines County | Medium | 8.64 / yr | $1M | |
| 63 | Mahaska County | Medium | 9.10 / yr | $1M | |
| 64 | Scott County | Medium | 9.34 / yr | $1M | |
| 65 | Palo Alto County | Medium | 16.30 / yr | $2M | |
| 66 | Lee County | Medium | 6.70 / yr | $1M | |
| 67 | Benton County | Medium | 15.49 / yr | $2M | |
| 68 | Montgomery County | Medium | 6.55 / yr | $1M | |
| 69 | Jefferson County | Medium | 13.63 / yr | $900K | |
| 70 | Van Buren County | Medium | 11.25 / yr | $825K | |
| 71 | Johnson County | Medium | 12.89 / yr | $1M | |
| 72 | Buchanan County | Medium | 14.31 / yr | $2M | |
| 73 | Delaware County | Medium | 11.20 / yr | $1M | |
| 74 | Keokuk County | Medium | 7.42 / yr | $1M | |
| 75 | Cherokee County | Medium | 23.66 / yr | $929K | |
| 76 | Cedar County | Medium | 13.17 / yr | $2M | |
| 77 | Muscatine County | Medium | 9.67 / yr | $965K | |
| 78 | Fremont County | Medium | 9.75 / yr | $1M | |
| 79 | Washington County | Medium | 8.45 / yr | $869K | |
| 80 | Shelby County | Medium | 7.65 / yr | $1M | |
| 81 | Jackson County | Medium | 10.93 / yr | $1M | |
| 82 | Henry County | Medium | 11.48 / yr | $804K | |
| 83 | Howard County | Medium | 15.81 / yr | $1M | |
| 84 | Ida County | Medium | 11.00 / yr | $866K | |
| 85 | Louisa County | Medium | 9.93 / yr | $1M | |
| 86 | Jones County | Medium | 14.02 / yr | $1M | |
| 87 | Winneshiek County | Medium | 13.37 / yr | $953K | |
| 88 | Iowa County | Medium | 10.13 / yr | $843K | |
| 89 | Buena Vista County | Medium | 16.97 / yr | $671K | |
| 90 | Lyon County | Medium | 19.94 / yr | $906K | |
| 91 | Sioux County | Medium | 24.38 / yr | $1M | |
| 92 | Dubuque County | Medium | 5.05 / yr | $850K | |
| 93 | O'Brien County | Medium | 23.17 / yr | $769K | |
| 94 | Mills County | Medium | 10.77 / yr | $614K | |
| 95 | Clayton County | Medium | 10.09 / yr | $414K | |
| 96 | Clay County | Low | 23.51 / yr | $467K | |
| 97 | Osceola County | Low | 17.67 / yr | $249K | |
| 98 | Allamakee County | Low | 6.77 / yr | $131K | |
| 99 | Dickinson County | Low | 11.03 / yr | $110K |
99 Iowa counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Iowa counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Iowa county has the highest drought risk?
Davis County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Iowa at 98.7 (High), with $5M in expected annual losses and about 14.41 events per year.
How many Iowa counties face significant drought risk?
99 Iowa counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 45 of them are rated High or Very High.