Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Donnellson

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Donnellson iowaPhoto: Billwhittaker · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Donnellson · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Donnellson

Donnellson isn’t graded for hazard risk: Donnellson has 776 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 19 declared for Lee County
By hazard

What Donnellson 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

74%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

12%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Winter storms Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves top 5% 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 13% of Donnellson’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 Donnellson flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Lee County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Donnellson

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

  1. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes1 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
  2. 2007Severe Winter Storms$5K to the City of Donnellson for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in DonnellsonLee County only

Lee County has had 19 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 Donnellson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Donnellson archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Donnellson 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 ↗
Hail
  • Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
  • Stay away from windows while it falls.
  • Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
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 Donnellson

Is Donnellson 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 Lee County, 1% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Donnellson?

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

By FEMA money that reached Donnellson, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes (2010): 1 households applied for aid, $5K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Donnellson.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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