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Wellman, Iowa 01Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
B−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Wellman · FEMA

For strong wind, Wellman’s building-damage rate is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wellman gets a B− for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then strong wind (15%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2007.

River and rain flooding 59%Strong wind 15%Tornadoes 14%

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

less 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 · lower than 50% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
59% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 2007 · $21K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
5
of 12 declared for Washington County
By hazard

What Wellman 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

59%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Strong wind

15%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

Tornadoes

14%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Hail

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Wildfire Ice storms Winter storms Heat waves top 2% Lightning Hurricanes Cold waves 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Wellman’s grade

River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Wellman, and Wellman’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts. Strong wind adds 15%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Wellman sits
Wellman
Least damageMiddleMost damage

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

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

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding59%Strong wind15%Tornadoes14%Everything else12%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.3M a year in losses across Wellman: $672K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

Shared tract.All of Wellman’s 1,524 residents (2020 census) live in one census tract, which it shares with Brighton city (600 residents) and West Chester city (144 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 Wellman flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2007

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wellman, from FEMA’s records: 4.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2007: 1 claim2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 2 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 claims20072010
20072026
3
paid claims since 2007
$21K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$7K
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

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.
Disasters

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wellman

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

  1. 2020Severe Storms1 households applied for aid$20K to the City of Wellman for repairs
  2. 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes$7K to the City of Wellman for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
  3. 2008Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding2 households applied for aid$767 aid approved
  4. 2007Severe Winter Storm$4K to the City of Wellman for repairs
  5. 2007Severe Winter Storms$25K to the City of Wellman for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in WellmanWashington County only

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

Add to the Wellman archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Wellman 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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Wellman

Is Wellman at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Wellman has lower expected damage per building than 50% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and strong wind (15%). 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 Wellman flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Wellman since 2007, $21K in all, or 4.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 59% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.

Is Wellman 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 Washington County, 26% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Wellman?

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

By FEMA money that reached Wellman, Severe Winter Storms (2007): $25K to the City of Wellman for repairs.

Is Wellman at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Wellman’s rate for it is lower than 56% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wellman.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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