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Chief Wapello’s Memorial ParkPhoto: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Agency · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Agency

Agency isn’t graded for hazard risk: Agency has 435 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2013 · $11K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 17 declared for Wapello County
By hazard

What Agency faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

89%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

5%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Wildfire Earthquakes Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves top 2% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 28% of Agency’s expected losses. Drought does little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Agency flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2013

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Agency, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
2013: 1 claim2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2013
20132026
1
paid claims since 2013
$11K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$11K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Agency isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Wapello County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Agency

Disasters that paid out in Agency itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Agency), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes4 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding4 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AgencyWapello County only

Wapello County has had 17 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

Old photos of Agency after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Agency archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Agency faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
  • Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
  • Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Tornado warnings
  • Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
  • A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
  • Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
  • Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
  • Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Agency

Does Agency flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Agency since 2013, $11K in all.

Is Agency in a flood zone?

Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Wapello County, 3% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Agency?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Agency’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Agency?

By FEMA money that reached Agency, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2010): 4 households applied for aid, $2K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Agency.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Agency’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.