FEMA rates relative tornado risk for Woodbury County as relatively high and reports historical annualized frequency of 0.76 events per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for Woodbury County reports historical annualized frequency of 0.76 events per year for tornado. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is relatively high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for Woodbury County.
Tornado
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
96.4/100
FEMA annualizes recorded qualifying tornado occurrences across the FEMA geography and source period.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across Woodbury County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For Sioux City, FEMA rates tornado risk for Woodbury County as relatively high, with a relative score of 96.4/100. The next highest relative scores are strong wind at 94.8/100 and landslide at 89.0/100.
Using FEMA data for Woodbury County, Sioux City is #3 among 6 covered Iowa entries for tornado risk. Sioux Falls is about 74 straight-line miles from the Sioux City map point; its FEMA figures cover Minnehaha County.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Sioux City? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Sioux City. All FEMA figures on this page cover Woodbury County.
The FEMA figures cover Woodbury County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative tornado risk for Woodbury County as relatively high. Its historical annualized frequency is 0.76 events per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 6 Iowa cities covered by this directory, Sioux City is #3 for relative tornado risk based on FEMA's score for Woodbury County. Homes within Sioux City can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for Woodbury County, the highest relative ratings are Tornado (Relatively High), Strong Wind (Relatively High), and Landslide (Relatively Moderate). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover Woodbury County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives Woodbury County an overall relative risk rating of relatively moderate. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Identify the lowest-floor interior room or nearby rated shelter you can reach quickly. Enable Wireless Emergency Alerts and keep a battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio available. Use Ready.gov Tornadoes and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Distances are measured between city coordinates.
| City | Distance | Tornado rating | Relative score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD | 74 mi | Relatively High | 98.7 |
| Omaha, NE | 87 mi | Very High | 99.5 |
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Hazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.