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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Plymouth · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Plymouth

Plymouth isn’t graded for hazard risk: Plymouth has 407 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2008.

Flood claims
1
paid since 2008 · $10K
Disasters paid out here
3
of 12 declared for Cerro Gordo County
By hazard

What Plymouth 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

78%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% 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 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Hail Winter storms Ice storms Earthquakes Wildfire Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves top 3% 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 41% of Plymouth’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 Plymouth flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2008

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2008: 1 claim2009: 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 claims2008
20082026
Biggest named events
  • The Storm1 claim · $10K
1
paid claims since 2008
$10K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$10K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Cerro Gordo County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Plymouth

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

  1. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding16 households applied for aid$41K aid approved$31K to the City of Plymouth for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2004Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding3 households applied for aid$2K aid approved
  3. 1999Severe Storms and Flooding$34K to the City of Plymouth for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in PlymouthCerro Gordo County only

Cerro Gordo County has had 12 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 Plymouth after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Plymouth archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Plymouth 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 Plymouth

Does Plymouth flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Plymouth since 2008, $10K in all. The most claims came from Storm (1).

Is Plymouth 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 Cerro Gordo County, 12% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Plymouth?

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

By FEMA money that reached Plymouth, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 16 households applied for aid, $41K approved, and $31K to the City of Plymouth for repairs. By flood claims, Storm: 1 paid, $10K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Plymouth.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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