Natural hazards · Wausau

Wausau, FL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wausau comes from hurricanes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Wausau?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wausau to be higher than in 93% of U.S. communities, mostly from hurricanes and inland flooding.

Hurricanes54%Inland flooding22%Tornadoes14%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Wausau faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Hurricanes

54% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Inland flooding

22% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Lower here

HailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingIce stormsAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Wausau flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wausau.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wausau 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.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Wausau

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Wausau itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Wausau.

Brought FEMA money into WausauDeclared for Washington County only

2018

Hurricane Michael

23 households applied for aid $714 aid approved $54K to the Town of Wausau for repairs

2014

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$8K to the Town of Wausau for repairs

2013

Severe Storms and Flooding

$11K to the Town of Wausau for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Straight-Line Winds

2 households applied for aid

2004

Hurricane Ivan

10 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $4K to the Town of Wausau for repairs

Washington County has had 32 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Wausau is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wausau’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Wausau. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.