Natural hazards · Alma

Alma, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Alma comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Alma?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Alma to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding46%Cold waves20%Tornadoes14%Hail8%Strong wind5%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Alma faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 52% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

20% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

14% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Hail

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Strong wind

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 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 Alma flood?

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

8paid claims since 1978

$180Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Severe flooding: 3 claims, $17K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Buffalo County.

Disasters that hit Alma

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Buffalo County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Alma itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into AlmaDeclared for Buffalo County only

Buffalo County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Alma

Alma and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Modenamostly inland floodingModerate

Gilmantonmostly inland floodingModerate

Almamostly inland floodingModerate

Nelsonmostly inland floodingModerate

Almamostly inland floodingLow

Lincolnmostly inland floodingLow

Belvideremostly inland floodingLow

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. Alma covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Alma’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Alma. 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 Alma 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.