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Wenzil Taylor BuildingWenzil Taylor Building · Photo: Kevin Schuchmann · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Spillville · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Spillville

Spillville isn’t graded for hazard risk: Spillville has 356 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 2016.

Flood claims
10
paid since 2016 · $176K
Disasters paid out here
7
of 18 declared for Winneshiek County
By hazard

What Spillville 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

76%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

16%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Hail

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Strong wind Winter storms Lightning Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Hurricanes Cold waves Heat waves top 5% Landslides
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Spillville flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 2016

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

Paid flood claims, by year
2016: 7 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 3 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims20162021
20162026
10
paid claims since 2016
$176K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$18K
average claim
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Winneshiek County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Spillville

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

  1. 2024Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-line Winds, and Tornadoes$8K to the City of Spillville for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Storms and Flooding$65K to the City of Spillville for repairs
  3. 2018Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$16K to the City of Spillville for repairs
  4. 2017Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$4K to the City of Spillville for repairs
  5. 2016Severe Storms and Flooding$4K to the City of Spillville for repairs
  6. 2016Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding$251K to the City of Spillville for repairs
Show all 7
  1. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding18 households applied for aid$145K aid approved$148K to the City of Spillville for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in SpillvilleWinneshiek County only

Winneshiek County has had 18 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 Spillville after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Spillville archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Spillville 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 Spillville

Does Spillville flood?

Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in Spillville since 2016, $176K in all.

Is Spillville 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 Winneshiek County, 0.6% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Spillville?

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

By FEMA money that reached Spillville, Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding (2008): 18 households applied for aid, $145K approved, and $148K to the City of Spillville for repairs.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Spillville.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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