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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Plainfield · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Plainfield

Plainfield isn’t graded for hazard risk: Plainfield has 314 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1993.

Flood claims
7
paid since 1993 · $119K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
6
of 14 declared for Bremer County
By hazard

What Plainfield 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

82%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

8%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 77% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Hail Strong wind Ice storms Winter storms Earthquakes Wildfire Heat waves top 2% Lightning 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 32% of Plainfield’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 Plainfield flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1993

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 1 claim1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 2 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 4 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 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 claims199319992008
19932026
Biggest named events
  • The Storm4 claims · $94K
  • The Midwest Flooding1 claim · $8K
7
paid claims since 1993
$119K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$17K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Bremer County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Plainfield

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

  1. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$11K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
  2. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding53 households applied for aid$189K aid approved$107K to the City of Plainfield for repairs4 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2007Severe Winter Storms$6K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
  4. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding1 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
  5. 1999Severe Storms and Flooding$5K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
  6. 1999Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$5K to the City of Plainfield for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PlainfieldBremer County only

Bremer County has had 14 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 Plainfield after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Plainfield archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Plainfield 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 Plainfield

Does Plainfield flood?

Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Plainfield since 1993, $119K in all. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Storm (4).

Is Plainfield 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 Bremer County, 18% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Plainfield?

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

By FEMA money that reached Plainfield, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 53 households applied for aid, $189K approved, and $107K to the City of Plainfield for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 4 paid, $94K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Plainfield.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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