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Iowa County Courthouse, MarengoPhoto: cwwycoff1 · CC BY 2.0
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Marengo · FEMA

Marengo’s building-damage rate from tornadoes is in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Marengo gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%), then tornadoes (19%). Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 1978.

River and rain flooding 60%Tornadoes 19%Strong wind 11%

Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded

more than 50%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
B−
in Iowa · higher than 50% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
60% of expected building damage
Flood claims
9
paid since 1978 · $35K
Disasters paid out here
9
of 20 declared for Iowa County
By hazard

What Marengo 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

60%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

11%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 5 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Ice storms Earthquakes Winter storms Lightning Heat waves top 2% Hurricanes Cold waves 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 Marengo’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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Marengo’s grade

River and rain flooding is 60% of the building damage FEMA expects in Marengo, and Marengo’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 19%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Marengo sits
Marengo
Least damageMiddleMost damage

B− higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns (21,298).

All of Marengo’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding60%Tornadoes19%Strong wind11%Everything else10%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.7M a year in losses across Marengo: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Marengo’s 2,435 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Ladora city (229 residents). FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s, the same for all of them. The flood claims below are the town’s own.
A shared figure. The grade describes the whole tract, not each street in it, and FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Marengo flood? Rarely: 9 flood claims since 1978

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Marengo, from FEMA’s records: 7.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 68% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1978: 3 claims1979: 1 claim1980: 0 claims1981: 0 claims1982: 0 claims1983: 0 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 0 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 2 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 2 claims2014: 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 claims197820072013
19782026
Biggest named events
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $5K
9
paid claims since 1978
$35K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$4K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Iowa County.
Disasters

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Marengo

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

  1. 2020Severe Storms$85K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$22K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  3. 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$16K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  4. 2013Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding$4K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  5. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$3K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  6. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$4K to the City of Marengo for repairs
Show all 9
  1. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding49 households applied for aid$177K aid approved$47K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  2. 2007Severe Winter Storm$11K to the City of Marengo for repairs
  3. 2007Severe Winter Storms$30K to the City of Marengo for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MarengoIowa County only

Iowa County has had 20 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 Marengo after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Marengo archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Marengo 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 ↗
High winds
  • Trim dead limbs over the house and driveway.
  • Tie down trash cans and outdoor furniture.
  • Stay clear of downed lines and call the utility.
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 Marengo

Is Marengo at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Marengo has higher expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (60%) and tornadoes (19%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Marengo flood?

Flood insurance has paid 9 claims in Marengo since 1978, $35K in all, or 7.3 per 1,000 homes, more than 68% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Midwest Flooding (1).

Is Marengo 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 Iowa County, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Marengo?

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

By FEMA money that reached Marengo, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 49 households applied for aid, $177K approved, and $47K to the City of Marengo for repairs. By flood claims, Midwest Flooding: 1 paid, $5K.

Is Marengo at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (60%), and Marengo’s rate for it is lower than 54% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Marengo.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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