Natural hazards · Alden

Alden, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alden comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Alden?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alden to be higher than in 41% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding37%Cold waves30%Tornadoes13%Strong wind8%Hail6%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Alden faces

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

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 50% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Cold waves

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 33 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Alden flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Alden 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 Alden

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AldenDeclared for Polk County only

2002

Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

$60K to the Town of Alden for repairs

Polk County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and tornadoes.

Around Alden

Alden and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Star Prairiemostly inland floodingModerate

Stantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Star Prairiemostly inland floodingModerate

Aldenmostly inland floodingModerate

Garfieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Black Brookmostly inland floodingLow

Farmingtonmostly cold wavesVery low

Osceolamostly cold wavesVery low

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. Alden covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

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

FEMA’s expected losses across Alden total about $1.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.