Natural hazards · Onalaska

Onalaska, TX natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Onalaska comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2014. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Onalaska?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Onalaska to be higher than in 73% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding32%Hurricanes19%Tornadoes18%Cold waves17%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Onalaska faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 10 years in the area

Tornadoes

18% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 53 years in the area

Cold waves

17% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Onalaska flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Onalaska, from FEMA’s records.

3paid claims since 2014

$212Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20142026

Biggest named events

Texas Spring Flooding: 1 claim, $158K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Onalaska isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Polk County.

Disasters that hit Onalaska

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OnalaskaDeclared for Polk County only

2024

Hurricane Beryl

605 households applied for aid $841K aid approved

2024

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

184 households applied for aid $587K aid approved $157K to the City of Onalaska for repairs

2021

Severe Winter Storms

112 households applied for aid $114K aid approved

2017

Hurricane Harvey

211 households applied for aid $132K aid approved

2008

Hurricane Ike

654 households applied for aid $766K aid approved $61K to the City of Onalaska for repairs

2008

Hurricane Gustav

$9K to the City of Onalaska for repairs

2005

Hurricane Rita

1,330 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $24K to the City of Onalaska for repairs

Polk County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

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. Onalaska 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 Onalaska’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Onalaska. 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.