How much flood risk does Guthrie County actually carry?
Guthrie County lands at the 22th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very Low" territory — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about 1.8 times a year. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Guthrie County
Out of 79 homes FEMA counts inside Guthrie County's mapped flood zone, 9 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 11.4% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Guthrie County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.2% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Where Guthrie County ranks
Guthrie County sits at rank 2492 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2360 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Guthrie County, Iowa covers 590.614 square miles and counts roughly 10,774 residents.
Checking a specific address in Guthrie County
FEMA counts 7,729 residential structures in Guthrie County overall, 17 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Guthrie County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.