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C−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Solon · FEMA

More hazard damage per building is expected in Solon than in 78% of U.S. towns, led by river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Solon gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns, #126 of 140 in Iowa. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (45%), then tornadoes (36%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016.

River and rain flooding 45%Tornadoes 36%Strong wind 10%

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 78%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#126 of 140 in Iowa
Hazard risk
C−#126 of 140
in Iowa · higher than 78% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
45% of expected building damage
Flood claims
1
paid since 2016 · $41K
Disasters paid out here
5
of 21 declared for Johnson County
By hazard

What Solon 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

45%of expected building damage
About average · higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

36%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Strong wind

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Hail

7%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire Earthquakes Ice storms Winter storms 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 cold waves at 10% of Solon’s expected losses. Cold waves do 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 Solon’s grade

River and rain flooding is 45% of the building damage FEMA expects in Solon, and Solon’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts. Tornadoes add 36%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Solon sits
Solon
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C− #126 of 140 in Iowa; higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns (21,298).

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding45%Tornadoes36%Strong wind10%Everything else9%

The typical Iowa town has lower expected damage than 57% of U.S. towns; within the state, Solon has more expected damage per building than 90% of Iowa towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.2M a year in losses across Solon: $1.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Solon’s 3,018 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract. FEMA publishes its model by tract, so the rate and the hazard mix are the tract’s. 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 Solon flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2016

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Solon, from FEMA’s records: 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2016: 1 claim2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims2016
20162026
1
paid claims since 2016
$41K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$41K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Johnson County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Solon

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

  1. 2020Severe Storms$148K to the City of Solon for repairs
  2. 2014Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$9K to the City of Solon for repairs
  3. 2013Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$67K to the City of Solon for repairs
  4. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding14 households applied for aid$75K aid approved$105K to the City of Solon for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Winter Storms$13K to the City of Solon for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SolonJohnson County only

Johnson County has had 21 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 Solon after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Solon archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Solon 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 Solon

Is Solon at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Solon has higher expected damage per building than 78% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #126 of 140 in Iowa. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (45%) and tornadoes (36%). 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 Solon flood?

Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Solon since 2016, $41K in all, or 0.8 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 82% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is Solon 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 Johnson County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Solon?

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

By FEMA money that reached Solon, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 14 households applied for aid, $75K approved, and $105K to the City of Solon for repairs.

Is Solon at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (45%), and Solon’s rate for it is higher than 53% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Solon.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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