Natural hazards · Arbor Vitae

Arbor Vitae, WI natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Arbor Vitae comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low 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 Arbor Vitae?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Arbor Vitae to be higher than in 11% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves58%Inland flooding27%Strong wind7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Arbor Vitae faces

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

Cold waves

58% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places

Recorded about 9 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Strong wind

7% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce 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 Arbor Vitae flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Vilas County.

Disasters that hit Arbor Vitae

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Arbor VitaeDeclared for Vilas County only

1999

Wi-Flood-07/20/99

$11K to the Town of Arbor Vitae for repairs

Vilas County has had 4 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and hurricanes.

Around Arbor Vitae

Arbor Vitae and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Boulder Junctionmostly inland floodingLow

Arbor Vitaemostly cold wavesVery low

St. Germainmostly cold wavesVery low

Lac du Flambeaumostly cold wavesVery low

Woodruffmostly 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. Arbor Vitae covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Arbor Vitae’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Arbor Vitae. 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 Arbor Vitae total about $2.9M 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.