Storm risk in Black Hawk County, Iowa

FEMA's overall hazard score for Black Hawk County is 76.59 (Relatively Low), 737th of 3,144 counties. Hail scores 87.31 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 94.69 (Relatively High) and tornado 91.38 (Relatively High). Expected hail loss is $26 per $1 million of buildings a year; NOAA logged 65 hail reports in Black Hawk County from 2014 to June 2026.

FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026. NOAA hail reports 2014 to June 2026.

Black Hawk County: expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings for hail, strong wind and tornado, on a log scale, against all U.S. counties and the counties of IA$0.1$1$10$100$1,000Hail: $26 per $1 million, 1,431st of 3,126 rated counties$26Hail1,431st of 3,126 countiesStrong wind: $26 per $1 million, 1,336th of 3,121 rated counties$26Strong wind1,336th of 3,121 countiesTornado: $318 per $1 million, 972nd of 3,144 rated counties$318Tornado972nd of 3,144 counties
  • Black Hawk County, coloured by its FEMA rating
  • all U.S. counties
  • each county in the state
  • U.S. median
  • state median

Expected yearly loss per $1 million of buildings, log scale. Dot colour is FEMA’s rating band. The tornado lane counts everything exposed, not only buildings.

How FEMA rates Black Hawk County

HazardRatingScore (0 to 100)Rank in U.S.Rank in IA
OverallRelatively Low 76.59737 of 3,1447 of 99
HailRelatively Moderate 87.31400 of 3,12620 of 99
Strong windRelatively High 94.69168 of 3,1267 of 99
TornadoRelatively High 91.38272 of 3,1267 of 99

Expected yearly loss, in dollars

HazardThis county, total a yearPer $1M of buildingsState median countyU.S. median countyRank per $1M, U.S.Rank per $1M, state
Hail$764,050$26 $51$22 1,431 of 3,12684 of 99
Strong wind$737,701$26 $66$20 1,336 of 3,12192 of 99
Tornado$9,169,347$318 $417$199 972 of 3,14471 of 99

Rank 1 is the highest. Overall, hail and wind losses count buildings; the tornado row counts everything FEMA exposes, so it overstates building damage. Expected annual loss is an average over many years for the whole county, not a forecast for one roof.

What stands out in Black Hawk County

  • FEMA expects hail in Black Hawk County to cost $26 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.19 times the U.S. median and 0.51 times the IA county median, ranked 1,431st of 3,126 counties nationally and 84th of 99 in Iowa.
  • FEMA expects strong wind in Black Hawk County to cost $26 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.26 times the U.S. median and 0.39 times the IA county median, ranked 1,336th of 3,121 counties nationally and 92nd of 99 in Iowa.
  • FEMA expects tornado in Black Hawk County to cost $318 per $1 million of buildings a year: 1.60 times the U.S. median and 0.76 times the IA county median, ranked 972nd of 3,144 counties nationally and 71st of 99 in Iowa.
  • Applying FEMA's estimate to a $182,400 home, the average yearly loss in Black Hawk County is about $4.83 for hail and $4.67 for wind before any deductible; at the U.S. median county rates it would be $4.08 and $3.72.
  • If the next years look like 2014 to 2025, a roof kept 20 years in Black Hawk County meets about 25.0 hail days of 1 inch or more; the median county in NOAA's file (1,275 counties) would give 35.0.
  • Built in 1966, the median home in Black Hawk County is 60 years old, so an original roof has outlived a 3-tab shingle (15 to 20 years) and an architectural one (25 to 30 years); 84.2% of its 58,748 homes are at least 26 years old.
  • March to June holds 45 of the 65 hail reports in Black Hawk County (69 percent); the quietest month is January, with 0 reports.

What hail and wind cost a home here in an average year

Enter a home value. The calculator applies Black Hawk County’s own loss rate: the county’s expected yearly loss divided by the value of its buildings. It starts at the Census median home value for the county.

$4.83hail, a year; $4.08 at the U.S. median county rate
$4.67strong wind, a year; $3.72 at the U.S. median county rate
$190hail and wind together over 20 years, at today’s rate

Formula: home value × Black Hawk County yearly loss ÷ building value. Hail: $764,050 ÷ $28,841,609,220 = 0.0000265. Wind: $737,701 ÷ $28,841,609,220 = 0.0000256. This is FEMA’s estimate of average damage to buildings and does not account for your deductible. Tornado is left out because FEMA’s tornado loss counts people and other exposure, not only buildings.

Read this as a yardstick. The rate is an average over every building in the county, from sheds to office towers, and over many years. Real losses come in rare, large storms; a roof with no damage in 19 years can need full replacement in the 20th. The figure is not a quote and not a prediction for one address.

Black Hawk County in plain numbers

  • Black Hawk County scores 76.59 in FEMA's overall hazard index (Relatively Low): 737th of 3,144 rated counties and 7th of 99 in Iowa.
  • Hail scores 87.31 (Relatively Moderate). FEMA expects $764,050 of hail damage to buildings in Black Hawk County a year, which is $26 per $1 million of buildings, 1.19 times the U.S. median.
  • Strong wind scores 94.69 (Relatively High) with $737,701 of expected yearly building loss in Black Hawk County: $26 per $1 million of buildings, 1.26 times the U.S. median.
  • Tornado scores 91.38 (Relatively High) and FEMA's expected yearly tornado loss is $9,169,347, counting everything exposed, or $318 per $1 million of buildings in Black Hawk County.
  • FEMA's own event record for Black Hawk County averages 5.03 hail events and 5.35 strong-wind events a year.
  • NOAA logged 65 hail reports in Black Hawk County between 2014 and June 2026, on 15 days with stones of 1 inch or more; the largest was 3 inches.
  • In Black Hawk County, FEMA counts buildings worth 28.84 billion dollars and 131,044 residents.
  • Social vulnerability is Relatively Low in Black Hawk County.
  • Community resilience there is Very High, for 131,044 residents.
  • 1 city in Black Hawk County is covered on this site: Waterloo. 12 Census ZIP areas have more than half of their land in the county.
  • Our guide range for a 2,000 sq ft asphalt roof in Waterloo is $6,090 to $13,485.
  • Black Hawk County ranks 98 of the 194 counties with a page here for hail loss per $1 million of buildings, 40 for wind and 57 for tornado.
  • In Black Hawk County, June is the busiest month with 29 of the 65 reports (45 percent), against 0 reports in December.
  • Black Hawk County's worst year was 2017, with 4 hail days at 1 inch or more and 23 reports. At the 2014 to 2025 pace that is 1.25 such days a year, one about every 9.6 months.
  • The median home in Black Hawk County was built in 1966; 70.7% of its 58,748 housing units date from before 1980, 84.2% from before 2000 and 8.0% from 2010 on.
  • Census puts the median home value in Black Hawk County at $182,400, and 65.3% of homes are lived in by their owners.
  • 2,363 single-family building permits were issued in Black Hawk County from 2014 to 2025, about 40.2 per 1,000 homes, peaking in 2016.
  • NOAA lists 6 tornado tracks in Black Hawk County since 2014; the strongest was an EFU on March 28, 2020 near Voorhies, 2.32 miles long.
  • The fastest gust in NOAA's records for Black Hawk County is 81 mph on July 29, 2025 at Waterloo.
  • The nearest county with a page here is Linn County, 45 miles from the centre of Black Hawk County; its hail score is 97.61.
  • Across counties the median is one roofing firm for every 5,189 homes; Census counted 8 roofing contractor establishments in Black Hawk County in 2023, one for every 7,344 homes.
  • FEMA has named Black Hawk County in 2 disaster declarations since 2014, the latest 3606 days before its data end, and 1 of them were storm-type.

The hail record of Black Hawk County, year by year

NOAA logged 65 reports in Black Hawk County; hail of 1 inch or more fell on 15 days. That is 1.2 such days a year; the median county in NOAA’s file has 1.8.

Black Hawk County: NOAA hail reports per year, 2014 to June 2026, with the number of days that had hail of 1 inch or more05101520252014: 6 reports, 1 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch142015: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch152016: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch162017: 23 reports, 4 days at 1 inch or more, largest 2.75 inch172018: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch182019: 1 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.75 inch192020: 8 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.75 inch202021: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch212022: 3 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0.88 inch222023: 11 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 3 inch232024: 5 reports, 3 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.5 inch242025: 8 reports, 2 days at 1 inch or more, largest 1.25 inch252026: 0 reports, 0 days at 1 inch or more, largest 0 inch26*
  • reports
  • days with hail of 1 inch or more
  • * 2026 runs to June only
Black Hawk County: NOAA hail reports by calendar month, 2014 to June 2026January: 0 reports0JanFebruary: 0 reports0FebMarch: 1 reports1MarApril: 11 reports11AprMay: 4 reports4MayJune: 29 reports29JunJuly: 7 reports7JulAugust: 0 reports0AugSeptember: 9 reports9SepOctober: 4 reports4OctNovember: 0 reports0NovDecember: 0 reports0Dec

Reports by calendar month, all years together. Peak: June, 29 reports.

The same numbers as a table (years with at least one report)
YearReportsDays, 1 inch or moreDays, 1.75 inch or moreLargest stoneDamage reported
20146101.5 in$6,000
201723422.75 in$10,000
20191000.75 in–
20208311.75 in–
20223000.88 in–
202311223 in–
20245301.5 in–
20258201.25 in–

Biggest hail days in Black Hawk County

DateLargest stoneReports that dayDamage reportedNear
June 24, 20233 in7none recordedEvansdale
April 15, 20172.75 in4$10,000La Porte City Arpt
June 15, 20172.5 in17none recordedWaterloo
June 25, 20231.75 in4none recordedEvansdale
September 5, 20201.75 in1none recordedDunkerton

Where large hail was reported

FEMA scores the county as a whole. NOAA’s reports show where inside Black Hawk County the big stones fell.

Reported hail locations, Black Hawk County

1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.25 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.5 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail1.75 in hail2.5 in hail2.75 in hail2.75 in hail3 in hail Waterloo
  • 391 to 1.74 in
  • 91.75 to 2.74 in, golf ball to tennis ball
  • 32.75 in and up, baseball

Largest plotted stone: 3 in. Bigger dots are bigger stones.

51 reports of 1 inch or larger have coordinates. Each dot is a reported location, not a storm path.

Sources: NOAA, Census county outline

Wind and tornado records for Black Hawk County

Fastest gusts in Black Hawk County

DateGustNear
July 29, 202581 mphWaterloo
July 29, 202578 mph(Alo)Waterloo Muni A
June 22, 201575 mphDunkerton
November 11, 201575 mphCedar Falls Isley Ar

Strongest tornado tracks in Black Hawk County

DateScaleLengthInjured / killedNear
March 28, 2020EFU2.32 mi0 / 0Voorhies
March 28, 2020EFU0.32 mi0 / 0Evansdale
March 28, 2020EF02.06 mi0 / 0Orange
October 9, 2018EF01.51 mi0 / 0Boies

6 tornado tracks in all since 2014; the strongest 4 are listed.

How old the roofs are

Census counts homes by the decade they were built. Under each bar is the number of hail days of 1 inch or more that an original roof from that decade has met, at Black Hawk County’s 2014 to 2025 pace of 1.25 such days a year. Most roofs have been replaced since; the row shows what a roof that never was would have taken.

Black Hawk County: share of homes by decade built, with the hail days at 1 inch or more that an original roof from each decade has met at the county's 2014 to 2025 ratepre-1940: 18.5% of homes18.5%<19401141940s: 6.7% of homes6.7%1940s1011950s: 16.4% of homes16.4%1950s891960s: 13.6% of homes13.6%1960s761970s: 15.5% of homes15.5%1970s641980s: 5.6% of homes5.6%1980s511990s: 7.9% of homes7.9%1990s392000s: 7.7% of homes7.7%2000s262010s: 7.8% of homes7.8%2010s142020+: 0.3% of homes0.3%2020+4

Bars: share of 58,748 housing units by decade built. Figures under the decade: hail days met by an original roof, at the county’s 2014 to 2025 pace. The pace of earlier years is unknown.

Median year built1966
Built before 198070.7%
Built before 200084.2%
Built since 20108.0%
Owner-occupied65.3%
Median home value$182,400
Single-family permits, 2014 to 20252,363
Permits per 1,000 homes40.2

Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) and 25 to 30 years (architectural). Source: Census ACS 2019 to 2023 and Building Permits Survey.

Roofers and past disasters in Black Hawk County

Roofing firms in Black Hawk County

Roofing contractor establishments, 20238
Change since 2016+4 (+100%)
Homes per roofing firm7,344
Median across counties5,189
Employees, 202393

Source for Black Hawk County: Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238160.

FEMA disaster declarations naming Black Hawk County since 2014

Declarations naming Black Hawk County2
Storm / flood / winter / fire1 / 1 / 0 / 0
Median IA county3
Rank among 67 IA counties51
Days from the latest to the data cutoff3,606

Source for Black Hawk County: OpenFEMA, data to 2026-09-15.

Nearby counties

The closest counties that have a risk page, by distance between county centres. Loss is per $1 million of buildings; the columns marked "times here" divide the neighbour's loss by Black Hawk County's.

CountyMilesOverallHail lossHail, times hereWind lossWind, times hereNOAA hail reports
Linn County, IA45 Relatively Moderate $1094.11$250.99175
Story County, IA66 Relatively Low $210.80$250.97153
Johnson County, IA68 Relatively Moderate $1174.42$1726.74109
Dubuque County, IA76 Relatively Low $1033.87$371.4463
Scott County, IA106 Relatively Moderate $933.53$220.88128
Pottawattamie County, IA185 Relatively Low $1274.78$552.1683

More Iowa counties, nearest first

All 194 counties, with a filter by state and sorting

Cities and ZIP areas in Black Hawk County

1 city in this county is on PickARoofer. ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are Census shapes that approximate ZIP codes; where we have a city’s ZIPs, the share is the part of each area’s land that lies in this county. 12 such areas have more than half their land here.

CityZIP areas (share of land in the county)Pages
Waterloo 50701 (100%), 50703 (100%), 50682 (0%) Roofers

Storm hit your roof in Black Hawk County? A free inspection tells you if there is damage. One local roofer answers, not five.

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Questions

How high is storm risk in Black Hawk County?

FEMA's National Risk Index gives Black Hawk County an overall score of 76.59 (Relatively Low), 737th of 3,144. Hail scores 87.31 (Relatively Moderate), strong wind 94.69 (Relatively High) and tornado 91.38 (Relatively High).

In Black Hawk County, how many hail reports has NOAA logged?

A report is one entry for one storm in one county, so counts follow where people live as well as where hail fell. NOAA has 65 for Black Hawk County between 2014 and June 2026, on 15 days with hail of 1 inch or more; the largest stone was 3 inches.

What do hail and wind cost a home in Black Hawk County each year, on average?

Applying FEMA's county rates to its median home value of $182,400: FEMA's estimate is about $4.83 a year for hail and $4.67 for wind, before any deductible, against $4.08 and $3.72 at the U.S. median county rates. This is an average over many years and all buildings, not a prediction for one roof; one bad storm costs far more than the average year.

How does Black Hawk County compare with the rest of Iowa?

Per $1 million of buildings Black Hawk County loses $26 to hail a year, against $51 in the median county of the state. Among 99 rated counties it is 20th for hail, 7th for strong wind and 7th for tornado.

How old are the roofs in Black Hawk County?

The median home was built in 1966, 60 years ago, and 84.2% of the 58,748 housing units in Black Hawk County date from before 2000. Asphalt shingles are rated 15 to 20 years (3-tab) or 25 to 30 years (architectural), so an original roof of either kind is past its rated life. The Census does not record when a roof was replaced.

What does expected annual loss mean?

It is FEMA's estimate of the average yearly loss from a hazard, in dollars, summed over the county. It is built for comparing counties at planning level, not for pricing one house.

Does a high rating mean my roof will be damaged?

No. The index compares counties and cannot say what will happen on your street. After a storm, a roof inspection is the only way to know.

Sources for Black Hawk County: FEMA National Risk Index, version December 2025, retrieved October 8, 2026; NOAA Storm Events Database hail reports for Black Hawk County; Census Bureau ZCTA-to-county relationship file (2020); Census ACS and Building Permits Survey, homes in Black Hawk County; Census County Business Patterns, roofing firms in Black Hawk County; OpenFEMA, declarations naming Black Hawk County. Planning-level information about Black Hawk County, not an inspection and not insurance advice.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).