Natural hazards · Appleton

Appleton, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Appleton comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2007. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Appleton?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Appleton to be higher than in 5% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves35%Inland flooding32%Tornadoes16%Hail6%Everything else11%

By hazard

What Appleton faces

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

Cold waves

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 11% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Tornadoes

16% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 64% of U.S. places

Hail

6% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesIce 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 Appleton flood?

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

8paid claims since 2007

$88Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20072026

Biggest named events

March 2019 Midwest Flooding: 1 claim, $293

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Outagamie County.

Disasters that hit Appleton

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AppletonDeclared for Outagamie County only

2026

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

40 households applied for aid $52K aid approved

2004

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid

Outagamie County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Appleton

Appleton and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Menashamostly inland floodingModerate

Fox Crossingmostly inland floodingModerate

Harrisonmostly inland floodingVery low

Buchananmostly inland floodingVery low

Freedommostly inland floodingVery low

Centermostly inland floodingVery low

Vandenbroekmostly inland floodingVery low

Appletonmostly cold wavesVery low

Kimberlymostly cold wavesVery low

Little Chutemostly inland floodingVery low

Grand Chutemostly inland floodingVery 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. Appleton covers 21 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Appleton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Appleton. 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 Appleton total about $19.0M 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.