Natural hazards · Altoona

Altoona, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Altoona comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Altoona?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Altoona to be higher than in 44% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding51%Cold waves26%Tornadoes10%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Altoona faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 33% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 78% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Altoona flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Eau Claire County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Altoona

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into AltoonaDeclared for Eau Claire County only

Eau Claire County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Altoona

Altoona and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

Altoonamostly inland floodingModerate

Seymourmostly inland floodingModerate

Eau Clairemostly 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. Altoona covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Altoona’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Altoona. 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 Altoona total about $3.9M 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.