Water Risk Profile — ZIP 50313
Flood risk, local cost data, climate factors, and insurance context for your ZIP code.
Flood Risk
Medium
Cost Range
$1,500–$8,500
Avg Response
42 min
NFIP
State participates
Local Climate & Risk Factors
Des Moines, Iowa faces spring snowmelt flooding that is among the most predictable annual flood events in the country. The Des Moines, Iowa, Cedar, and Mississippi rivers overflow their banks in most years after winter snowpack melts — the 2008 Iowa flood was a $10 billion disaster affecting Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Polar vortex events reach Iowa with temperatures below -20°F that cause rapid pipe freezing in uninsulated exterior walls and crawl spaces. Iowa's clay-rich soils retain water against foundation walls, increasing basement flooding frequency after sustained rainfall. Iowa Insurance Division regulations require insurers to acknowledge claims within 10 working days.
Flood-prone areas: Birdland in north Des Moines sits directly in the Des Moines River floodplain and was among the hardest-hit neighborhoods during the 2008 Iowa flood, when the river crested at 28.1 feet — nearly 10 feet above flood stage — and inundated homes along Birdland Drive and Indianola Avenue with water that lingered for days. The Raccoon River corridor on Des Moines's west side regularly threatens properties in the Fleur Drive neighborhoods and Windsor Heights when the river rises above 23 feet at the Fleur Drive gauge, an event that typically occurs after heavy spring rainfall across western Iowa's agricultural watershed.
Water Category Cost Table — Des Moines, IA
Extraction & drying cost per square foot by IICRC water category
| Water Category | $/sq ft |
|---|---|
| Category 1 — Clean Burst supply line, clean appliance overflow | $2.72–$6.74 |
| Category 2 — Gray Dishwasher, washing machine, toilet bowl (no feces) | $6.74–$8.16 |
| Category 3 — Black Sewage backup, floodwater, toilet overflow with feces | $9.59–$12.1 |
Estimates exclude reconstruction (drywall, flooring replacement). National benchmarks: Cat 1 $3.75–$4.25, Cat 2 $4.10–$6.50, Cat 3 $7–$7.50/sq ft — adjusted for Des Moines market (3.2–11/sq ft range).