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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Boyden · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Boyden

Boyden isn’t graded for hazard risk: Boyden has 757 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
4
of 12 declared for Sioux County
By hazard

What Boyden 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

63%of expected building damage
Below average · lower than 63% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

27%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 6 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Winter storms top 1% Ice storms Strong wind Earthquakes Wildfire Lightning Cold waves Heat waves Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts hail at 24% of Boyden’s expected losses. Hail does little damage to buildings (4.0%), 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 Boyden flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Boyden. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Sioux County.
Disasters

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Boyden

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes25 households applied for aid$93K aid approved
  2. 2013Severe Winter Storm$10K to the City of Boyden for repairs
  3. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes30 households applied for aid$35K aid approved$11K to the City of Boyden for repairs
  4. 2009Severe Winter Storms and Snowstorm$3K to the City of Boyden for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in BoydenSioux County only

Sioux County has had 12 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Boyden archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Boyden 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 Boyden

Is Boyden 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 Sioux County, 1.2% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Boyden?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Boyden’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 Boyden?

By FEMA money that reached Boyden, Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes (2024): 25 households applied for aid, $93K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Boyden.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Boyden’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.